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SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 1
2 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editorial........................................................................................................................ 3,.5
Growth.Strategies.of.Women.Entrepreneurs.in.Technology-based.Firms..................... 7
Profiles.of.10.Innovators.in.Canada’s.Advanced.Technology.Sector............................ 12
Lessons.from.Rebecca.MacDonald................................................................................ 16
How.Strongly.is.Gender.Influencing.Discrimination.in.the.Marketplace?...................20
Nascent.and.Established.Women.Entrepreneurs..........................................................24
Resources.for.Women.Entrepreneurs............................................................................29
Reading.Suggestion:.Embedding.Gender.in.Sustainability.Reporting......................... 31
Book.Review...................................................................................................................32
Author.Guidelines..........................................................................................................34
Contact.Information.......................................................................................................35
Reader.Comments.......................................................................................................... 37
Membership.Invoice.and.Information.2010,.CCSBE....................................................38
June /Juin 2010 Volume 3, Issue 1
ISSN.1918-9605
SMEE.Review.Small.and.Medium-Sized.Enterprise.&.Entrepreneurship.Review.
PMEE.Revue.Des.Petites.Et.Moyennes.Entreprises.Et.De.L’entrepreneuriat
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 3
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS.have.
captivated.the.attention.of.scholars.in.
entrepreneurship.for.different.reasons..
Some.attribute.the.low.number.of.women.in.business.to.
gender.differences...But.the.dramatic.increase.in.women.
starting.businesses.in.recent.years.has.led.some.scholars.to.
identify.specific.obstacles.that.impede.women.from.start-
ing.their.own.businesses,.while.others.are.interested.in.the.
benefits.of.women.managers’.leadership.style..This.issue.
of.the.SMEE.Review.has.contributions.that.focus.on.issues.
related.to.the.way.women.manage.small.and.medium-sized.
enterprises.and.on.how.they.search.for.opportunities.to.
obtain.sustainable.growth.of.their.businesses.in.times.of.
crisis..
The.papers.submitted.to.this.issue.of.the.SMEE.Review.
left.me.with.the.impression.that.the.obstacles.that.interfere.
with.a.woman.starting.a.business.are.not.entirely.related.
to.gender,.but.more.to.the.cultural.and.socio-economic.
environment.which.influences.society’s.attitude.toward.
female.entrepreneurs..If.this.environment.were.to.change,.
attitudes.toward.gender.might.also.change,.and.as.a.result.
the.gap.between.male.and.female.entrepreneurs.may.be.
reduced...By.contrast,.gender.will.still.have.an.impact.on.
female.leadership.styles.and.we.will.continue.to.benefit.
from.the.people-oriented.style.of.women.in.management..
Perhaps.my.perception.is.wrong,.but.even.so,.I.invite.you.
to.enjoy.the.articles.in.this.issue.and.form.your.own.opin-
ion.on.this.interesting.topic...Also,.I.encourage.you.to.take.
advantage.of.the.advice.provided.throughout.the.review.
The.first.paper.is.by.Barbara.Orser.and.presents.pro-
files.of.women.who.have.been.successful.in.the.technology.
industry.and.summarizes.the.ten.lessons.they.inspire...In.
the.second.paper,.Shannon.Hebert.presents.an.interview.
with.one.of.the.most.successful.women.in.Canadian.busi-
ness:.Rebecca.MacDonald,.Executive.Chair.of.Just.Energy...
It.is.impressive.to.learn.how.MacDonald.has.persevered.
to.overcome.many.obstacles.on.her.way.to.success...Her.
profile.and.advice.could.serve.as.a.model.to.many.women.
and.men.aspiring.to.start.new.businesses...This.interview.
is.followed.by.an.article.by.Megan.Armstead.and.Bruce.C..
Anderson.who.reviewed.and.summarized.findings.in.recent.
studies.on.women.entrepreneurs...Some.obstacles.that.are.
frequently.identified.as.impediments.to.female.entrepre-
EDITORIAL
neurship.seem.to.be.related.to.their.socio-economic.context.
rather.than.to.gender...In.the.paper.that.follows,.Yves.
Robichaud,.Egbert.McGraw,.Yvon.Gasse,.and.I.present.the.
findings.from.our.interviews.with.women.entrepreneurs.in.
Saskatchewan.who.are.at.various.stages.in.their.businesses...
These.women.candidly.provide.their.views.on.various.topics.
such.as.obstacles,.success.measures,.and.prospects.for.the.
future...In.the.next.paper,.Laura.M..Small.gives.advice.on.
the.process.that.women.wanting.to.start.a.new.business.
should.follow.in.order.to.be.successful...She.also.provides.
a.list.of.useful.information.sources..Next,.I.recommend.
a.reading.on.creating.opportunity.for.women...The.docu-
ment.contains.a.great.deal.of.advice.on.measures.that.could.
improve.the.environment.for.female.entrepreneurship...
Finally,.Chris.Street.has.reviewed.the.book,.The.Girls’.Guide.
to.Building.a.Million-Dollar.Business.by.Susan.Wilson.
Solovic...According.to.Street,.Solovic.“takes.readers.through.
a.practical.introduction.to.starting.and.building.a.large.and.
successful.business.”.We.hope.that.you.will.enjoy.reading.
this.issue.
This.issue.is.the.result.of.the.efforts.of.many.different.
people..I.sincerely.thank.the.team.of.Robert.Anderson.and.
Bruce.C..Anderson.who.worked.with.me.during.the.prepa-
ration.of.this.journal..Thanks.to.the.Student.Consultant.
Managers.at.the.Centre.for.Management.Development,.
including.the.outgoing.Shannon.Hebert.and.the.incom-
ing.Robyn.Warsylewicz.for.their.dedicated.work..Finally,.
a.heartfelt.thanks.to.Anne.Lavack,.Kelly-Ann.McLeod.and.
Lisa.Watson.for.proofreading.the.papers.in.this.issue..
You.probably.noticed.that.you.did.not.receive.SMEE.
Review.issue.2.of.volume.2..That.issue,.originally.scheduled.
for.publication.in.December.2009,.was.to.contain.papers.
submitted.to.the.CCSBE.Conference.held.in.Toronto.on.
October.16-18,.2009..Unfortunately,.the.chair.of.this.track.
found.that.there.were.not.enough.papers.to.publish.a.full.
issue..We.are.sorry.the.inconvenience.and.we.would.like.to.
take.this.opportunity.to.invite.you.to.send.us.your.papers.
in.French.and.English.for.future.issues..The.SMEE.Review.
needs.your.input.for.growth.and.improvement.
Have.a.good.summer!
Jean-Marie Nkongolo-Bakenda
Editor
4 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 5
LES FEMMES ENTREPRENEURES ont.captivé.l’attention.des.chercheurs.en.entrepreneuriat.pour.des.raisons.diverses..Certains.chercheurs.ont.
essayé.d’expliquer.le.faible.nombre.de.femmes.entrepre-neures.par.leur.genre..Mais.l’augmentation.dramatique.des.femmes.entrepreneures.dans.les.récentes.années.a.conduit.certains.chercheurs.à.identifier.les.obstacles.spécifiques.qui.empêchent.les.femmes.à.démarrer.leur.propre.entreprise..D’autres.chercheurs.se.sont.intéressés.aux.avantages.du.style.de.direction.des.femmes.entrepreneures.pour.mettre.en.relief.son.orientation.vers.le.social..Ce.numéro.de.la.Revue.SMEE.a.des.contributions.qui.mettent.l’accent.sur.les.questions.liées.à.la.façon.dont.les.femmes.gèrent.des.petites.et.moyennes.entreprises.et.sur.les.voies.et.moyens.d’identifier.les.occasions.d’affaires.susceptibles.de.mener.à.une.croissance.durable.de.leurs.entreprises.en.temps.de.crise.
Les.articles.soumis.à.ce.numéro.de.la.Revue.SMEE.m’ont.laissé.l’impression.que.les.obstacles.qui.empêchent.(ou.qui.sont.considérés.comme.tel).les.femmes.à.démarrer.leurs.activités.ne.sont.pas.liés.au.genre,.mais.à.la.posi-tion.institutionnelle.sur.le.genre..Cette.position.résulte.de.l’environnement.culturel.et.socio-économique.qui.change.dans.le.temps.et.dans.l’espace..Par.conséquent,.si.l’environnement.culturel.et.socio-économique.change.en.faveur.d’une.attitude.vers.l’égalité.entre.les.genres,.l’écart.entre.le.nombre.d’hommes.et.de.femmes.qui.démarrent.les.affaires.sera.probablement.réduit..En.revanche,.le.genre.aura.toujours.un.impact.sur.le.style.de.direction.de.la.femme.et.nous.continuerons.à.bénéficier.du.style.de.direc-tion.orienté.vers.le.social..Peut-être.que.ma.perception.est.fausse,.mais.même.si.tel.était.le.cas,.je.vous.invite.à.profiter.de.la.lecture.des.articles.dans..ce.numéro.de.la.revue.pour.vous.faire.votre.propre.opinion.sur.ce.sujet.intéressant..En.outre,.tirez.profit.des.conseils.fournis.tout.au.long.des.articles.pour.améliorer.vos.activités.en.entrepreneuriat.
Le.premier.article.de.Barbara.Orser.présente.les.profils.des.femmes.qui.ont.réussi.dans.l’industrie.des.nouvelles.technologies.et.résume.les.dix.leçons.qu’ils.inspirent..Dans.le.deuxième.article,.Shannon.Hébert.présente.une.entre-vue.avec.l’une.des.femmes.qui.ont.le.mieux.réussi.dans.l’entrepreneuriat.Canadien:.Rebecca.McDonald..Il.est.im-pressionnant.de.voir.comment.McDonald.a.persévéré.pour.surmonter.les.obstacles.sur.son.chemin.vers.la.réussite..Son.profil.et.les.conseils.qu’elle.donne.pourraient.servir.de.modèle.non.seulement.aux.femmes,.mais.aussi.aux.hommes.qui.aspirent.à.lancer.de.nouvelles.entreprises..Cette.entre-vue.est.suivie.de.l’article.de.Megan.Armstead.et.Bruce.C..Anderson.qui.ont.examiné.et.résumé.les.résultats.d’études.récentes.sur.les.femmes.entrepreneures..Certains.obstacles.fréquemment.cités.comme.barrières.à.l’entreprenariat.des.
Éditorialfemmes.semblent.être.liés.au.contexte.socio-économique.plutôt.qu’au.genre..Dans.l’article.suivant,.Yves.Robichaud,.Egbert.McGraw,.Yvon.Gasse.et.moi-même,.présentons.les.résultats.de.nos.entretiens.avec.les.femmes.entrepreneures.de.Saskatchewan.à.différentes.étapes.de.développement.d’entreprise..Ces.femmes.livrent.avec.franchise.leurs.opin-ions.sur.différents.sujets.tels.que.les.obstacles,.les.mesures.de.succès,.et.les.perspectives.d’avenir..Après.cet.article.sur.les.entrevues.avec.les.femmes.entrepreneures,.Laura.M..Small.donne.des.conseils.sur.le.processus.que.les.femmes.qui.souhaitent.démarrer.une.nouvelle.entreprise.pour-raient.suivre.pour.réussir..Elle.donne.également.une.liste.des.sources.d’information.utiles..Ensuite,.je.vous.suggère.une.lecture.sur.la.création.des.occasions.d’affaires.pour.les.femmes..L’article.suggéré.contient.beaucoup.de.conseils.sur.les.mesures.qui.pourraient.améliorer.l’environnement.pour.l’entrepreneuriat.féminin..Enfin,.Chris.Street.a.examiné.le.livre.The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.a.Million-Dollar.Busi-ness.(Le.Guide.pour.filles.qui.veulent.créer.une.entreprise.d’un.million.de.dollars).par.Susan.Wilson.Solovic..Selon.Street,.Solovic.mène.les.lecteurs.à.travers.une.introduction.pratique.à.la.création.et.le.développement.d’une.grande.entreprise.couronnée.de.succès..Nous.espérons.que.vous.apprécierez.la.lecture.de.ce.numéro.de.la.revue.
Ce.numéro.de.votre.revue.a.été.le.fruit.des.efforts.de.nombreuses.personnes..Permettez-moi.de.remercier.l’équipe.de.Robert.Anderson.et.Bruce.C..Anderson.qui.m’ont.soutenu.lors.de.sa.préparation..Merci.aux.gestion-naires.des.étudiant(e)s.Consultant(e)s.du.Centre.de.Dével-oppement.de.la.Gestion:.la.gestionnaire.sortante.Shannon.Hébert.et.la.nouvelle.gestionnaire.Robyn.Warsylewicz.pour.leur.travail.assidu..Enfin,.une.poignée.de.remerciements.à.Anne.Lavack,.Kelly-Ann.Mcleod,.et.Lisa.Watson.pour.leur.travail.bien.fait.et.nécessaire.de.la.relecture.des.documents.
Vous.avez.sans.doute.remarqué.que.vous.n’avez.pas.reçu.le.numéro.2.du.volume.2.de.la.Revue.SMEE..Ce.numéro.devait.être.publié.en.décembre.2009.et.devait.contenir.les.articles.soumis.à.la.Conférence.CCPME.tenue.à.Toronto.les.16-18.Octobre.2009..Malheureusement,.le.président.de.la.Division.des.ateliers.sur.les.gestionnaires.et.entrepreneurs.a.trouvé.que.les.articles.présentés.ne.pouvaient.pas.suffire.pour.tout.un.numéro.de.la.Revue.SMEE..Nous.sommes.désolés.pour.la.perturbation.de.cette.situation.dans.la.publication.de.votre.revue..Je.voudrais.saisir.cette.occasion.pour.vous.inviter.à.nous.soumettre.vos.articles.en.français.ou.en.anglais..La.Revue.SMEE.a.besoin.de.vos.apports.et.soutiens.pour.croître.et.s’améliorer.
Passez.une.bonne.période.d’été.
Jean-Marie Nkongolo-BakendaÉditeur
6 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 7
Growth Strategies of Women Entrepreneurs in Technology-based Firms
By Barbara OrserDeloitte Professor in the Management of Growth Enterprises, University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management, Ottawa, Canada orser@telfer.uottawa.ca
AbstractThis.article.summarizes.key.lessons.learned.from.a.study.of.ten.growth.oriented.women.business.owners.in.the.Canadian.advanced.technology.sector..The.profiles.provide.read-ers.with.insights.about.the.strategies.used.by.women.to.identify.entrepreneurial.opportuni-ties.and.to.leverage.their.skills.and.talents..Owners.also.shared.advice.for.managing.growth.and.careers.in.the.advanced.technol-ogy.sectors..The.profiles.illustrate.different.aspects.of.technology,.from.the.commercial-ization.of.basic.science.and.‘first-in-class’.technology,.to.the.use.of.established.technol-ogies.that.enable.commercial.opportunity..
RésuméCet.article.résume.les.enseignements.tirés.d’une.étude.sur.la.croissance.d’entreprises.de.dix.femmes.propriétaires/entrepreneures.dans.le.secteur.des.technologies.de.pointe.au.Canada..Leurs.différents.profils.fournis-sent.aux.lecteurs.la.diversité.des.stratégies.utilisées.par.les.femmes.pour.identifier.les.possibilités.d’entrepreneuriat.et.mettre.à.profit.leurs.compétences.et.leurs.talents..Les.femmes.propriétaires-dirigeantes.ont.également.prodigué.des.conseils.pour.gérer.la.croissance.et.les.carrières.dans.les.secteurs.des.technologies.de.pointe..Leurs.profils.il-lustrent.différents.aspects.de.la.technologie,.allant.de.la.commercialisation.de.la.science.fondamentale.et.de.la.technologie.de.pre-mière.classe.à.l’utilisation.de.technologies.bien.établies.qui.génèrent.des.occasions.d’affaires.
Introduction
THIS ARTICLE SUMMARIZES KEY LESSONS.learned.from.
a.study.of.Canadian.women.business.owners.in.the.advanced.
technology.sector..The.full.report,.Showcasing Women Entre-
preneurs in Canada’s Advanced Technology Sector1,.provides.details.about.
the.strategies.used.to.identify.entrepreneurial.opportunities.and.grow.
advanced.technology-based.firms..While.the.strategies.described.in.the.
report.are.not.unique.to.women,.the.profiles.may.encourage.other.women.
to.consider.a.career.in.Canadian.advanced.technology...This.is.important.for.
several.reasons..Technology-oriented.and.knowledge-intensive.enterprises.
are.engines.of.Canadian.economic.growth..Yet,.compared.to.men,.women.
are.significantly.under-represented.in.most.advanced.technology.sectors2...
The.proportion.of.women.in.certain.technology-based.professions.is.also.
dropping...Hence,.the.report.and.summary.of.lessons.learned.may.motivate.
other.women.to.capitalize.on.their.technical,.intellectual.and.entrepreneur-
ial.abilities..Here.are.several.insights.shared.by.the.Presidents.and.CEOs.of.
10.innovative.advanced.technology-based.firms...
Lesson 1: Customer relationships drive enterprise growth
Academic.studies.and.media.about.the.advanced.technology.sectors.
have.focused.primarily.on.the.commercialization.of.innovation,.intellectual.
property.(IP).and.technology..While.these.are.all.important.organizational.
assets,.several.women.CEOs.spoke.about.the.economic.value.of.client.and.
supplier.relationships...According.to.Dale.Gantous.(InGenius.Group.of.
Companies).reputation.is.a.more.important.asset.in.long-term.growth.than.
technology...Likewise,.Angela.O’Leary.of.Nisha.Technologies.identified.the.
will.to.grow.and.ability.to.listen.to.customers.as.key.drivers.of.growth..She.
also.cited.the.instrumental.role.of.clients.in.stimulating.the.growth.of.her.
firm’s.services.portfolio...Isabelle.Bettez.(8D.Technologies).spoke.of.the.
need.to.manage.customers.carefully.and.the.benefits.of.transforming.cus-
tomers.into.strategic.partners.
Firm.growth.is,.therefore,.an.outcome.of.healthy.customer.relation-
ships..These.perspectives.about.the.importance.of.customer.relationships.
indicate.a.need.to.focus.on.market.and.customer.outcomes,.in.addition.to.
financial.and.technical.performance.
1 ToobtainthereportShowcasingWomenEntrepreneursinCanada’sAdvancedTechnologySectorcontactJoanneStanley,CanadianAdvancedTechnologyAssociationWomeninTech(CATAWIT)Forumatjstanley@cata.ca.
2 Cukier,W.(2007).DevelopingTomorrow’sWorkforceToday.PreparedonbehalfoftheInformationandCommunicationsTechnologyCouncil.Alsosee:Panteli,A.,Stack,J.,andRamsay,H.(1999).‘GenderandprofessionalethicsintheITindustry’JournalofBusinessEthics,October,22(1):51–61.
8 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
Lesson 2: Access to capital does not limit growth for women in technology
There.is.no.single.or.right.formula.to.finance.innova-
tion..Canadian.women.use.a.variety.of.financing.models.
and.types.of.capital.to.start.and.grow.advanced.technology.
firms...For.most.of.the.women.profiled,.access.to.capital.
had.not.limited.firm.growth..Joanne.Ball-Gautschi.(Partner.
International.Inc.).relied.on.retained.earnings.to.grow.her.
firm..Sharlyn.Ayotte.(T-Base.Communications).and.Tanya.
Shaw.Weeks.(Unique.Solutions.Design).secured.external.
capital.and.spoke.about.the.added-value.external.investors.
can.bring.(e.g.,.mentoring,.networking,.governance.advice,.
and.hands-on.assistance)...For.some.business.owners,.start-
up.entailed.raising.equity.capital.through.angel.syndicates.
and.venture.capitalists..Others.relied.on.savings.and.‘love.
money’.(investment.by.family,.friends,.and.colleagues)..
Securing.start-up.capital.is.not.easy,.particularly.if.the.
product.is.in.an.early.stage.of.development,.according.to.
Cynthia.Goh.(Axela.Inc..and.ViveTM.Nano)..Cindy.Gordon.
(Helix.Commerce.International.Inc.).observed.that.venture.
capitalists.have.little.interest.in.services.firms..All.business.
owners.had.established.relationships.with.commercial.lend-
ing.institutions.to.finance.their.firms’.ongoing.operations..
These.are.important.observations.for.several.reasons..
First,.the.media.has.suggested.that.lenders.and.investors.
discriminate.against.women..This.assertion.contradicts.
most.systematic.studies.about.gender.and.access.to.capital..
What.Canadian.research.has.found.is.that.borrowing.expe-
riences.differ.by.size.and.sector.of.firm3...After.allowing.for.
these.effects,.compared.to.male.business.owners,.women.
are.significantly.less.likely.to.apply.for.capital.(debt,.leas-
ing,.supplier.credit,.and/or.equity)..For.example,.men.are.
four.times.more.likely.to.apply.for.equity.(both.angel.and.
venture).capital.compared.to.women...The.primary.reason.
women.gave.for.not.applying.was.that.the.‘money.was.not.
needed.’.Second,.the.profiles.suggest.that.it.is.the.own-
ers’.assumptions.and.decision-making,.rather.than.gender.
discrimination,.which.is.associated.with.the.capitalization.
of.female-owned.firms.
Lesson 3: Early exporting leads to growth
Research.has.reported.that.international.SMEs.are.the.
most.productive,.R&D.intensive,.and.growth-oriented.of.
all.small.businesses...Many.of.the.businesses.profiled.were.
‘born.global’.enterprises...Joanne.Ball-Gautschi.(Partner.
International.Inc.),.Tanya.Shaw.Weeks.(Unique.Solutions.
Design),.and.Joyce.Groote.(HoleysTM).demonstrate.that.
Canadian.women.are.launching.global.technology-based.
firms.at.or.near.inception..These.women.are.taking.advan-
tage.of.new.and.inexpensive.communication.technologies,.
recognition.of.international.market.opportunities.for.small.
firms.as.well.as.Canadian.trade.agreements.—.all.of.which.
are.helping.to.facilitate.international.business..Exporting.
is.not,.however,.without.challenges..Internal.obstacles.can.
include.a.lack.of.human.and.financial.resources.in.addition.
to.inadequate.management.knowledge.and.skill..Trade.im-
pediments.and.costs..are.reflected.in:.the.challenges.of.find-
ing.local.partners;.obtaining.foreign.market.intelligence;.
limited.demand;.time.consuming.and.costly.bureaucratic.
procedures.and.regulations;.the.added.costs.of.operating.
abroad;.the.need.to.adapt.products,.packaging.and.services;.
and.the.risks.associated.with.foreign.exchange,.legislation,.
and.politics...Canadian.and.international.research.has.also.
documented.that,.on.average,.women-owned.businesses.are.
less.likely.to.export.compared.to.male-owned.firms,.regard-
less.of.sector.
While.researchers.are.still.not.certain.why.women.busi-
ness.owners.are.relatively.less.likely.to.export,.the.business.
owners.profiled.demonstrate.that.firm.age.and.gender.are.
not.necessarily.deterrents.to.launching.new,.rapid-growth.
global.firms..
Lesson 4: Growth reflects a diversity of skills
Technical.expertise.and.credentials,.such.as.engineer-
ing.or.computer.science.degrees,.are.not.prerequisites.to.
business.ownership.in.the.advanced.technology.sector..In.
some.cases,.women.with.management.experience.hired.
scientists.and.technicians.to.help.create.their.firms’.intel-
lectual.property..In.other.cases,.women.engineers.and.
scientists.hired.professional.managers.to.lead.their.firms..In.
almost.every.case.study,.success.rested.on.evidence.of.both.
technical.and.management.skills..As.Cynthia.Goh.(Axela.
Inc..and.ViveTM.Nano).points.out,.what.is.required.is.the.
ability.to.work.with.a.diverse.team.of.experts,.including.
3 Orser,B.J.,Riding,A.L.,Manley,K.,(2006).“WomenEntrepreneursandFinancialCapital”,EntrepreneurshipTheoryandPractice,30(5):643-665.
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 9
leadership.and.communication.skills...Lawyer.and.social.en-
trepreneur.Sue.Van.Der.Hout.(Girlphyte.Inc.).also.suggests.
that.creativity.is.required.to.attract.and.retain.consumers..
These.are.important.observations,.for.two.reasons..First,.
compared.to.men,.women.are.less.likely.to.retain.technical.
credentials.or.to.bring.technical.experience.to.a.business.
start-up....Yet,.as.the.profiles.demonstrate,.women.with.dif-
ferent.types.of.experience.are.nonetheless.assuming.leader-
ship.roles.in.the.advanced.technology.sectors..Second,.the.
ability.to.communicate.with.potential.partners,.employees,.
and.clients.is.a.prerequisite.of.entrepreneurial.growth..In.
these.ways,.women.business.owners.are.attracting.the.man-
agement.talent.and.scientific.knowledge.that.is.required.to.
start.and.grow.services.and.goods-producing.businesses.in.
the.advanced.technology.sectors..
Lesson 5: Small is not always beautiful
Many.of.the.business.owners.spoke.about.a.sense.of.
accomplishment.and.the.personal.rewards.of.starting.and.
managing.a.technology-based.firm..But.small.business.own-
ership.is.not.always.beautiful..Several.business.owners.also.
spoke.about.the.demands.of.business.ownership..Candid.
comments.included.the.need.to.be.available.—wherever.and.
whenever.needed,.lack.of.owner.compensation.during.start-
up.and.the.time.commitments.for.work.and.travel..Several.
of.the.CEOs.also.cautioned.‘would-be’.entrepreneurs.not.to.
underestimate.the.cost.and.time.required.to.commercialize.
ideas.(i.e.,.secure.investment,.build.a.market.presence,.and.
generate.revenue)..
To.overcome.the.demands.of.business.ownership,.
women.business.leaders.encouraged.others.to.prioritize.
work/life.balance.by.staying.fit,.remembering.to.have.fun,.
using.humour.to.dissipate.stress,.creating.supportive.net-
works,.not.letting.others.slow.them.down,.and.surrounding.
themselves.with.like-minded.people...
Lesson 6: Alliances and certification can offset the liabilities of newness and size
Most.of.the.women.profiled.were.actively.building.
collaborative.relationships.with.other.small-.and.large-
sized.firms..This.strategy.was.used.to.offset.the.liabilities.
of.newness.and.size.such.as.limited.market.coverage,.
management.‘band.width’,.and.reputation..For.example,.to.
increase.brand.awareness.among.consumers,.Tanya.Shaw.
Weeks.(Unique.Solutions.Design).established.a.co-branding.
relationship.with.a.brand.name.pattern.design.firm..To.
further.enhance.her.firm’s.credibility,.Cindy.Gordon.(Helix.
Communications).obtained.industry.certification.with.
several.global.software.providers..Joanne.Ball.(Partners.
International).spoke.about.the.importance.of.well-designed,.
non-confidential.marketing.material.and.non-disclosure.
agreements.prior.to.approaching.prospective.partners..This.
requires.undertaking.thorough.due.diligence,.a.learning.
process.that.helped.the.management.team.to.better.under-
stand.the.market.and.to.further.clarify.the.firm’s.strategic.
position...Several.of.the.women.also.spoke.about.the.need.
to.base.relationships.on.mutual.trust.while.remaining.cau-
tious.about.sharing.intellectual.property.with.clients.and.
partners...Being.clear.early.in.negotiations.about.the.firm’s.
proprietary.properties.and.differential.advantages.helps.
both.parties.understand.the.limits.and.opportunities.of.the.
relationship.
Lesson 7: Government can facilitate growth
For.some.women.business.owners.such.as.Angela.
O’Leary.(Nisha.Technologies).and.Dale.Gantous.(InGenius.
Group.of.Companies),.government.is.a.key.source.of.busi-
ness.and.development.opportunities..However,.most.case.
participants.had.not.sought.government..Only.one.busi-
ness.owner,.Cynthia.Goh.(Axela.Inc..and.ViveTM.Nano),.
obtained.funding.to.develop.commercial.applications.
of.technology.that.was.created.in.an.Ontario.university..
Cindy.Goh.spoke.favourably.about.her.experiences.with.the.
Ontario.Centres.of.Excellence.Market.Readiness.program..
Two.business.owners.benefited.from.foreign.tax.incentives.
in.locating.operations.abroad..Conversely,.one.business.
owner.described.a.government.policy.that.significantly.
undermined.her.commercial.operation,.a.decision.that.was.
undertaken.without.private.sector.consultation..These.ob-
servations.suggest.that.governments,.at.all.levels,.can.do.a.
better.job.of.creating.timely,.relevant,.and.practical.support.
services.for.women-owned.advanced.technology.firms...For.
example,.a.section.of.the.Industry.Canada.Strategis.web-
site.should.include.case.studies.and.research.about.gender-
related.challenges.of.enterprise.growth..Industry.Canada.
might.also.provide.financial.support.to.create.cases.and.
awards.that.recognize.and.enhance.the.visibility.of.success-
ful.women.in.the.advanced.technology.sectors.
The.business.owners.displayed.a.low.level.of.awareness.
about.government.programs.and.related,.suggesting.the.
need.for.better.co-ordination.of.programs.across.federal.
departments,.provincial.ministries,.and.regional.economic.
10 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
development.agencies..Program.focus.to.support.services.
providers.in.the.advanced.technology.sector.should.be.given.
additional.consideration..Services.are.rarely.the.focus.of.
technology.support.yet.this.sector.is.increasingly.a.source.of.
Canadian.economic.prosperity.and.an.area.of.economic.ac-
tivity.in.which.women.are.disproportionately.engaged..For.
example,.Public.Works.and.Government.Services.Canada.
(PWGSC).should.be.proactive.in.reaching.out.to.women.
business.owners.through.various.SME.training.agencies.
and.industry.associations.such.as.the.Canadian.Advanced.
Technology.Alliance.Women.in.Tech.Forum..Members.
could.then.be.alerted.to.pending.requests.for.standing.of-
fers.and.supplier.contract.opportunities...
The.profiles.also.suggest.that.initiatives.that.seek.to.
stimulate.investment.in.research.and.development.must.be.
linked.to.business.start-up.schemes.and.business.registries..
This.will.help.to.ensure.that.the.owners.of.new.firms.are.
aware.of.available.support.services..As.the.profiles.illus-
trate,.governments.must.ensure.that.programs.targeted.to.
the.advanced.technology.sector.include.women’s.partici-
pation,.and.that.policy.makers.are.alert.and.responsive.to.
the.evolving.challenges.of.women.business.owners..Trade.
associations.could.also.play.a.more.active.role.in.report-
ing.to.government.about.the.experiences.of.women.busi-
ness.owners.in.the.advanced.technology.sectors..Several.of.
these.recommendations.mirror.Canadian.studies.that.have.
reported.on.the.need.to.better.coordinate.government.pro-
grams.to.ensure.that.firms.are.more.aware.of.programs.that.
facilitate.cross-border.movement.of.personnel.and.goods...
As.such,.federal,.provincial.and.municipal.governments.
should.monitor.and.report.on.SME.program.participation.
and.impacts.using.gender.disaggregated.data..Finally,.the.
current.government’s.focus.on.increasing.productivity.and.
innovation.fails.to.consider.gender.influences.that.impact.
Canadian.economic.performance..This.is.a.fundamental.
oversight.and.deterrent.to.enterprise.growth.
Lesson 8: Attracting and developing talent is an obstacle to growth
A.primary.challenge.for.many.women.business.leaders.
is.to.attract.and.retain.talent..To.ensure.employees.un-
derstand.the.nature.and.entrepreneurial.culture.of.a.firm,.
Joyce.Groote.(HoleysTM).has.worked.with.employees.to.
create.corporate.value.statements.that.specify.the.firm’s.
entrepreneurial.vision,.performance.expectations.as.well.as.
the.need.for.a.solutions-oriented.workplace.environment..
The.profiles.endorse.the.need.to.create.a.larger.pool.of.
workers..One.means.is.to.ensure.that.engineering,.com-
puter.science,.physics.and.other.technical.degree.programs.
include.mandatory.entrepreneurship.courses...Similarly,.
entrepreneurship.courses.should.include.curricula.about.
the.advanced.technology.sectors..
Lesson 9: Networking and mentors matter
Several.business.owners.spoke.about.the.importance.
of.networks.and.mentors.and.how.they.proactively.created.
opportunities.to.build.social.capital.and.support..Examples.
included.establishing.a.syndicated.network.of.angel.inves-
tors,.applying.and.‘winning’.an.opportunity.to.be.mentored.
through.a.regional.talent.competition,.hosting.peer-to-peer.
mentoring.groups,.long-distance.mentoring.with.a.high.
profile.female.mentor,.as.well.as.attending.trade.associa-
tion.meetings..These.are.important.observations,.for.several.
reasons..First,.research.has.documented.an.association.
between.mentoring.and.career.advancement...The.limited.
resources.that.typify.small-.to.medium-sized.firms.imply.
that.it.is.less.likely.that.owners.will.be.able.to.attend.to.
mentoring.issues...Second,.it.has.been.reported.that.women.
can.face.unique.challenges.in.developing.and.maintaining.
effective.mentoring.relationships...Mentoring.studies.also.
report.that.the.gender.composition.of.the.mentor/protégé.
dyad,.type.of.mentoring.(career.versus.psychosocial.sup-
port),.stage.of.the.mentoring.relationship,.and.the.protégé’s.
human.capital.are.also.relevant.to.career.outcomes....For.
example,.career.support.versus.psychosocial.support.was.
4Orser,B.,Riding,A.,Dathan,M.,Stanley,J.,(2008).“WomeninAdvancedTechnology:ExaminingtheInfluenceofRoleOrientationandFirmStructureonPerceivedGenderChallenges”,Proceedings,5thAustraliaGraduateSchoolofEntrepreneurship(AGSE)InternationalEntrepreneurshipResearchExchange,Melbourne.
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 11
seen.to.help.women.advance.more.than.it.did.for.men.and.
that.career.support.for.women,.from.female.mentors,.was.
reported.to.be.most.useful..Women.business.owners.are.
encouraged.to.proactively.approach.senior.business.owners.
and.industry.executives.to.establish.mentoring.relation-
ships..Both.the.profiles.and.related.research.point.to.a.role.
for.trade.associations.in.facilitating.mentoring.for.women.
in.the.advanced.technology.sectors.and.to.help.identify.one-
on-one.professional.development.opportunities.for.women..
Lesson 10: Multiple-use applications sustain growth
Several.women.spoke.about.the.importance.of.develop-
ing.multiple-use.technology.platforms..This.strategy.served.
to.insulate.the.firms.from.product.failure.and.provided.
the.means.to.beta.test.new.technology.applications.and.
markets..In.the.services.context,.this.lesson.is.described.
by.Joanne.Ball-Gautschi.(Partner.International).as.having.
‘several.eggs.and.several.baskets.’.Several.women.busi-
ness.owners.spoke.about.the.need.to.develop.products.and.
markets.simultaneously..This.is.to.ensure.that.emerging.
products.are.appropriate.for.new.customers.and.that.the.
firm.secures.new.sources.of.revenue..The.profiles.also.illus-
trate.that.Canadian.women.business.owners.are.introduc-
ing.ideas.and.affecting.change.with.respect.to.the.nature.of.
advanced.technology..Sharlyn.Ayotte.(T-Base.Communica-
tions).has.helped.to.transform.the.market.for.braille.and.
related.services.from.a.volunteer-based.service.delivery.ap-
proach,.to.a.technology-based,.commercial.delivery.model..
Joyce.Groote.(HoleysTM).has.introduced.technology.that.
is.revolutionizing.“the.science.of.footwear.”.Cindy.Gordon.
(Helix.International.Inc.).is.building.innovative.‘collabo-
ration.tools’,.technologies,.and.practices,.some.that.are.
founded.on.her.own.academic.research..These.are.just.a.few.
examples.of.the.multiple.ways.in.which.Canadian.women.
business.owners.are.changing.the.face.of.the.advanced.
technology.sectors....
Final observation: Technology may be gender neutral but the industry is not
Many,.but.not.all,.felt.that.the.sector.is.not.immune.to.
gendered-related.challenges...For.example,.Joanne.Ball-
Gautschi.is.one.of.the.few.Canadian.women.entrepreneurs.
in.the.global.defence.and.aerospace.industries..She.suggests.
that.one.reason.for.the.absence.of.females.in.the.sector.is.a.
lack.of.media.coverage.about.women.role.models.and.that,.
compared.to.Europeans,.Canadians.are.less.progressive.
in.supporting.women’s.enterprise..Such.observations.are.
consistent.with.Canadian.and.international.studies.about.
women.in.the.technology.sector..A.2006.CATA.WIT/Telfer.
School.of.Management.study.found.gender-related.career.
challenges.remain4...Documented.challenges.included:.
perceived.lack.of.credibility,.credentials.and.confidence;.
misperceptions.about.ability;.and.lack.of.social.capital.
and.networking.opportunities...The.study.suggests.that.
men.and.women.must.take.responsibility.for.the.perceived.
gendering.of.occupational.roles.and.organizational.prac-
tices..Finally,.some.respondents.to.the.study.also.expressed.
concerns.about.inappropriate.and.dismissive.comments.
with.respect.to.their.performance.or.ability..Similarly,.a.
recent.survey.conducted.in.the.United.Kingdom.of.women.
business.owners.operating.in.science,.engineering,.con-
struction,.and.technology.found.that.40%.of.respondents.
attributed.difficulties.in.starting.a.business.to.gender5...
Perceived.challenges.included.limited.access.to.networks,.
assumptions.that.women.are.not.as.technically.competent,.
and.perceptions.about.conflicts.between.motherhood.and.
entrepreneurship..Several.United.States-based.studies.have.
also.examined.career.barriers.in.the.technology.sector..One.
study.described.youth-oriented.hiring.practices.(where.
experience.is.not.a.valued.asset),.disrespect.for.women.and.
a.significant.increase.in.age.and.sexism.complaints.lodged.
with.the.US.Equal.Opportunity.Employment.Commission6...
Another.typified.the.IT.sector.as:.“masculine,.white,.and.
heterosexual,.associated.with.hard.programming,.obses-
sive.behaviour,.and.extensive.working.hours7.”..However,.
as.this.article.illustrates,.gender-related.challenges.do.not.
stop.talented.and.entrepreneurial.women.from.creating.and.
growing.successful.businesses.in.the.advanced.technology.
sectors..
5Prowess.(2008).UndertheMicroscope.FemaleEntrepreneursinSECTScience,Engineering,ConstructionandTechnology.See:www.prowess.org.uk.
6Xia,A.&Kleiner,B.(2001).Discriminationinthecomputerindustry.EqualOpportunitiesInternational.20:5–7.7Simard,C.,Henderson,A.,Gilmartin,S.,Schiebinger,L.,&Whitney,T.2008.ClimbingtheTechnicalLadder:ObstaclesandSolutions
forMid-levelWomeninTechnology.NationalCenterforWomenandInformationTechnology.Boulder:UniversityofColorado.
12 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
Profiles of
Innovatorsin Canada’sAdvancedTechnology
Sector
Axela Incorporated and ViveTM Nano“People talk about [the]
disconnect between
technology push and the
market pull. I think it has
to be a technology push
meets market pull. We have
to create wonderful new
technology, but we also have
to understand where the
market is. And if it is not
there, then it is not there.” Dr. Cynthia Goh: Scientist, scholar, and serial entrepreneur
Cynthia.Goh.is.Professor.of.Chem-
istry.and.Medical.Science.and.Associ-
ate.Director.of.the.Institute.for.Optical.
Sciences.at.the.University.of.Toronto..
Her.scientific.innovations.have.led.
to.an.innovative.medical.diagnostics.
and.drug.discoveries.platform..She.is.
the.co-founder.of.two.Toronto-based.
firms,.Axela.Incorporated.and.ViveTM.
Nano..Both.firms.leverage.scientific.
knowledge.in.the.development.of.in-
novative.products.to.assist.researchers.
and.industry.partners..Axela.Inc..(for-
merly.Axela.Biosensors).is.recognized.
as.a.leading.Canadian.life.science.
company..The.firm’s.mission.is.to.pro-
vide.a.simple.and.effective.approach.to.
understanding.protein-protein.interac-
tions...Cindy.Goh.served.as.Chief.Sci-
entific.Officer.of.Axela.Inc..until.2004..
ViveTM.Nano..Founded.in.2006,.
ViveTM.Nano.is.a.Toronto-based.firm.
that.develops.novel.nanoparticle-based.
materials.for.a.variety.of.fields.such.as.
catalysis.and.agricultural.applications.
10
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 13
Girlphyte“This is my passion. I’d like to
be able to have an impact. I
believe there is going to be a
cultural shift. I think we are
just dangling at the edge of a
cultural shift in opportunities
for women.” Quote from Entrepreneur Susan Van Der Hout: Lawyer, social engineer, and feminist entrepreneur
Girlphyte.Inc.’s.Founder.and.
President.Sue.Van.Der.Hout.is.a.
former.Bay.Street.tax.litigator..To-
day,.Sue.Van.Der.Hout.is.leveraging.
her.networks.of.women’s.organiza-
tions,.technologists,.media.experts,.
and.financial.backers.to.develop.an.
“interactive.online.engagement.tool.
and.profiling.engine,”.initially.tar-
geted.to.women...This.high-energy,.
social.entrepreneur.is.convinced.that.
women.must.utilize.technology.to.help.
address.gender.differences.in.both.the.
home.and.workplace..Her.web-based.
technology.is.designed.to.facilitate.an.
international.dialogue.among.women.
about.how.they.perceive,.define,.and.
achieve.success...
.
InGenius Group“Running your own high-tech
business is extremely fun. You
have freedom to do things the
way you want to do them. It
is hard, but so is working for
someone else. If you can rule
your own destiny and make
a living at the same time, it’s
really worth it.”Dale Gantous: Rocket scientist, communications expert, and turn-around entrepreneur
Dale.Gantous.is.the.Chief.Execu-
tive.Officer.(CEO).of.the.InGenius.
Group.of.Companies..Based.in.Ot-
tawa,.InGenius.People.and.InGenius.
Software.provide.software.products.
and.IT.professional.services.to.the.
federal.government.and.to.businesses.
worldwide...The.InGenius.Group.of.
companies.is.comprised.of.two.firms..
InGenius.People.provides.high.quality.
IT.professional.services.to.the.federal.
government..InGenius.Software.builds.
innovative,.unified.communications.
software.for.Voice.over.IP.phone.sys-
tem.customers.around.the.globe..
The.two.businesses.thrive.together.
with.common.values.that.include.pride.
in.technical.innovation,.and.belief.that.
the.only.point.of.technical.innovation.
is.solving.customers’.problems,.reliev-
ing.their.stress.and.thus.making.them.
happy..The.following.strategies.have.
helped.to.build.the.company.into.a.
high.performance.global.operation....
.
Nisha Technologies Inc.“In my business relationships
and in making decisions, I am
true to myself.”Angela O’Leary: Community leader and public sector entrepreneur
Angela.O’Leary,.President.of.
Nisha.Technologies.Inc.’s.Aboriginal.
business.unit,.manages.a.growing.line.
of.businesses.while.seeking.out.new.
partnerships,.challenges,.and.oppor-
tunities..While.working.with.Indian.
and.Northern.Affairs.Canada,.industry.
leaders.and.other.stakeholders,.Angela.
is.also.contributing.her.expertise.to.
help.determine.how.Aboriginal.compa-
nies.can.benefit.and.move.forward.
under.the.Procurement.Strategy.for.
Aboriginal.Businesses.program..She.
considers.herself.to.be.“entrepreneur-
ial.in.nature”.and.is.an.avid.believer.in.
maintaining.a.balance.between.profes-
sional.and.personal.life..Angela.has.
over.a.decade.of.business.development.
experience..Nisha.Technologies.sup-
plies.professional.services,.PCs,.note-
books,.work.stations,.and.enterprise.
products.to.the.federal.government...
O’Leary.believes.that.her.success.is.
rooted.in.the.ongoing.monitoring.of.
the.federal.government’s.$14.billion.
annual.procurement.spend,.managing.
client.and.supplier.expectations,.keep-
ing.close.to.the.customer.as.well.as.
establishing.strong.partnerships.
.
14 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
Helix Commerce International Inc.“The heart of collaboration
and innovation growth is
trust and sense making!”Dr. Cindy Gordon: Transformation change architect, author, and serial entrepreneur
Helix.Commerce.International.
Inc..specializes.in.collaboration.com-
merce.(c-commerce),.next.generation.
business.models,.and.professional.
services.that.help.clients.build.multi-
dimensional.relationships.with.cus-
tomers,.buyers,.sellers,.partners,.and.
employees..Helix.Commerce.focuses.
on.five.core.lines.of.business,.leverag-
ing.knowledge.from.diverse.disciplines.
that.includes:.customer.capital,.knowl-
edge.capital,.human.capital,.digital.
capital.and.entrepreneurial.capital,.all.
utilized.to.meet.their.clients’.growth.
needs..Helix.Commerce.International.
Inc..(http://www.helixcommerce.
com).operates.three.wholly-owned.
subsidiary.operations..Helix.Innova-
tion.Hive.(http://stores.lulu.com/
helixcommerce).specializes.in.publish-
ing.thought.leadership.and.holding.
innovation.conferences..Helix.Talent.
(http://www.helixtalent.com).assists.
clients.in.attracting,.retaining,.and.
transitioning.employees...Helix.Virtual.
Worlds.(www.helixvirtualworlds.com).
advises.on.and.develops.virtual.world.
experiences.that.enhance.productivity.
through.collaborative,.socially.stimu-
lated.digital.3D.media.and.network.
marketing..Their.clients.are.primarily.
Fortune.500.and.mid-market.firms.in.
the.advanced.technology.sectors.
.
Unique Solutions Design“Our goal is to scan millions
around the world and help
connect them with products
and services that help enhance
their life and fit their needs,
bodies and lifestyle.”Tanya Shaw Weeks: Inventor and born global entrepreneur
Founder.and.President.Tanya.
Shaw.Weeks.positions.Unique.Solu-
tions.Design.as.the.global.connector.
of.body.measurement.information..
The.firm’s.3D.scanning.and.measure-
ment.technology.enables.consumers.
to.monitor.body.mass.and.fitness,.find.
out.what.clothing.size.will.fit.them.best.
and.to.order.custom-made.apparel.
from.a.growing.list.of.clothing.retail-
ers..With.a.workforce.of.32.employees,.
alliances.with.brand.name.suppliers.
and.an.acquisition.strategy.to.ensure.
best-in-class.innovation,.this.Halifax-
based.firm.anticipates.continued.glob-
al.growth..Underlying.the.success.of.
Unique.Solutions.Design.is.a.founder.
who.understands.the.consumer.mind-
set.and.holds.other.insights.learned.
from.experience.as.the.past.owner.of.a.
design.and.wardrobe-planning.firm.
.
Partner International“We’re making the world a
smaller place.”Joanne Ball-Gautschi: Pioneer, connector, and dealmaker
Joanne.Ball-Gautschi.is.the.Presi-
dent.of.Partner.International,.a.firm.
that.develops.business.partnerships.
in.the.life.sciences,.pharmaceutical,.
aerospace,.and.defence.sectors..Work-
ing.directly.with.senior.executives.and.
embassies.around.the.world,.the.firm.
deploys.social.capital.to.identify.part-
ners,.facilitate.introductions,.negotiate.
deals.and.ultimately,.build.technology-
based.partnerships..Joanne.started.
her.career.in.radio,.which.was.an.
experience.that.she.believes.provided.
valuable.cross-sector.learning.and.
empathy.for.small.business.owners..
Prior.to.launching.Partner.Interna-
tional,.Joanne.was.Vice-president.
of.an.American.bio-technology.firm..
In.1999,.Joanne.launched.Partner.
International.in.Halifax.and.Bern,.
Switzerland..She.is.also.a.Board.mem-
ber.of.the.Nova.Scotia.Aerospace.and.
Defence.Association..Today,.Joanne.
sees.the.world.as.her.marketplace.
.
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 15
T-Base Communications“We are changing the
story from dependence to
independence.”Sharlyn Ayotte: Builder of accessible information technologies for the blind, visually- and hearing-impaired
T-Base.Communications.Inc..
Success.reflects.Sharlyn.Ayotte’s.
tenacity,.her.desire.to.help.others.
and.her.ability.to.create.opportuni-
ties.from.misfortune..In.1976,.Sharlyn.
was.working.within.an.information.
security.firm.when.she.lost.her.sight..
Through.this.experience,.she.became.
convinced.that.all.Canadians.have.the.
right.to.access.information..When.the.
federal.government.announced.access-
to-information.legislation,.she.shifted.
focus.from.information.security.tech-
nology.to.creating.accessible.informa-
tion..Today,.T-Base.Communications.
is.a.world.leader.in.client.solutions.to.
transcribe.printed.information.into.
braille,.large.print,.audio,.and.secure.
online.formats.
.
HoleysTM“Decide what you want to do
in life and then act as if it is
impossible to fail.”Joyce Groote: Biotechnologist, footwear scientist, and owner of a rapid-growth enterprise
HoleysTM.is.a.world.leader.in.
the.use.of.injection.foam.molding.
technology..Holeys’.first.product.was.
a.popular.coloured.foam.clog..Today,.
HoleysTM.designs.and.contract-
manufactures.lifestyle.wear.targeted.
at.children,.do-it-yourselfers,.and.duty.
professionals..With.6000%.growth.in.
2006,.HoleysTM.ranked.first.on.Profit.
Magazine’s.Profit.Hot.50.in.2007..
Sustained.growth.entails.new.prod-
ucts,.refined.production.processes,.
and.investment.in.R.&.D.focused.on.
innovative.and.branded.products..
Joyce.Groote’s.journey.from.biotech-
nologist.to.global.businesswoman.was.
unintentional...In.2004,.opportunity.
came.by.way.of.a.neighbour.seeking.
advice.about.her.home-based.business.
that.sold.foam.clogs..Within.the.year,.
a.‘shot-gun’.agreement.between.the.
original.owner.and.Joyce.resulted.in.
her.purchasing.HoleysTM...Now.Presi-
dent.and.CEO.she.manages.a.multi-
million.dollar.enterprise.that.operates.
in.over.40.countries..Prior.to.acquiring.
HoleysTM,.Joyce’s.leadership.skills.
were.honed.through.20.years.of.bio-
tech.experience,.government.regula-
tory.and.policy.work,.not-for-profit.
management.and.the.establishment.of.
BIOTECanada,.helping.start-up.com-
panies.to.‘get.up.and.running’.opera-
tionally,.and.an.investment.network.
8D Technologies Inc.“Changing the world using
technology is really a way to
help achieve goals.”Isabelle Bettez: Visionary, co-founder, and eco-friendly entrepreneur
Isabelle.Bettez’s.vision.to.build.a.
global.enterprise.was.the.outcome.of.
trial.and.error..Founded.in.1996,.8D.
Technologies.Inc..is.a.world.leader.in.
the.development.of.advanced,.intel-
ligent.wireless,.Machine-to-Machine.
(M2M),.multi-function.point.of.sale.
(POS).solutions..Its.unique.award-
winning.city.parking.system.features.
100%.solar-powered,.wireless.ter-
minals.that.manage.street.parking.
and.emerging.municipal.bike.rental.
services,.from.a.single.network.of.user-
friendly.pay.stations..The.system.can.
easily.interconnect.with.public.transit.
systems,.answering.the.need.for.green,.
integrated.solutions.to.control.traffic.
congestion.and.pollution...POS.ter-
minals.combine.online.payment.with.
capacities.for.point.of.sale.marketing.
(show.tickets,.rebate.coupons,.adver-
tising,.etc.).and.information.providing,.
in.a.totally.autonomous.solar.device.
Profiles of 10 Innovators in Canada’s Advanced Technology Sector
16 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
Lessons fromRebecca MacDonald:An Immigrant Woman who Went from Medical Studies Abroad to a Successful Entrepreneurship in the Canadian Energy Industry
By Shannon Hebert, Fourth Year Business Administration Student, University of Regina
AbstractThis.is.an.interview.with.Rebecca.MacDonald,.a.female.entrepreneur.who.immigrated.to.Canada.and.has.found.success.in.the.deregulated.gas.and.electricity.industry..MacDonald.discusses.personal.matters.such.as.the.challenges.of.being.an.immigrant.and.balancing.family.life.with.busi-ness..She.also.addresses.the.financial.crisis,.when.to.start.up.a.business,.and.advice.for.female.entrepreneurs..Throughout.the.interview,.emerges.the.idea.that.success.lies.in.the.search.and.identification.of.opportuni-ties.and.in.the.perseverance.in.their.exploitation.
RésuméVoici.une.entrevue.avec.Rebecca.Mac-Donald,.une.femme.entrepreneure.qui.a.immigré.au.Canada.et.a.trouvé.le.succès.dans.l’industrie.déréglementée.du.gaz.et.de.l’électricité..Macdonald.discute.des.questions.personnelles,.telles.que.les.défis.d’être.une.immi-grante.et.de.trouver.un.équilibre.entre.la.vie.familiale.avec.les.activités.entre-preneuriales..Elle.aborde.également.les.questions.de.la.crise.financière,.du.démarrage.d’entreprise.et.donne.des.conseils.aux.femmes.entrepreneures..Tout.au.long.de.l’entrevue,.émerge.l’idée.que.la.réussite.réside.dans.la.recherche.et.l’identification.des.op-portunités.et.dans.la.persévérance.dans.leur.exploitation.
REBECCA
MACDONALD
is.one.of.the.
founders.and.current.Chair.
of.Just.Energy.Income.
Fund,.a.Toronto.based.mar-
keter.of.deregulated.gas.and.
electricity..Currently,.Just.
Energy.supplies.more.than.
one.million.customers.in.
Ontario,.Manitoba,.Alberta,.
Quebec,.British.Columbia,.
New.York,.Indiana,.Texas.
and.Illinois..Just.Energy.
has.annual.sales.of.over.
$1.899.billion,.cash.flow.of.
$155.million.and.currently.
pays.out.more.than.$130.
million.annually.to.its.unit.
holders..
Rebecca.was.born.
in.Yugoslavia..Follow-
ing.training.to.become.
a.medical.doctor,.she.
immigrated.to.Canada.in.
1974..Despite.speaking.no.English.when.she.arrived,.and.having.no.family.
or.friends.in.the.country,.she.quickly.adjusted.and.thrived.in.the.Canadian.
business.community..She.was.named.Canadian.Woman.Entrepreneur.of.the.
Year.for.2002.by.Rotman.School.of.Business..She.was.named.Canada’s.top.
woman.CEO.for.2003,.2004,.2005,.2006.and.2007.by.Profit.Magazine..She.
was.named.Ontario.Entrepreneur.of.the.Year.by.Ernst.and.Young.in.2003..
She.was.awarded.the.International.Horatio.Alger.Award.in.2009..We.con-
tacted.her.for.an.interview.that.took.place.on.October.29,.2009.
... fall in love with the business
you are trying to build, but fall in
love with it rationally, analyze the
product, the offering, the business
case, and then just go for it.
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 17
How has your business weathered the current financial crisis?
We.have.weathered.it.very.well.and.the.reason.for.that.
is.that.I.am.an.aggressive.marketer.but.a.very.conservative.
manager..I.have.been.in.the.energy.sector.for.over.20.years.
and.seen.the.ups.and.the.downs..I.am.not.suggesting.that.
I.could.have.predicted.the.crisis.we.went.through,.but.my.
claim.to.fame.is.that.I.do.not.believe.in.leverage.or.high.
debt.ratios.and.we.live.by.that..When.the.financial.crisis.hit.
we.were.well.positioned,.so.well.in.fact.that.we.are.now.us-
ing.it.as.an.opportunity..
Do you think women entrepreneurs have been affected more seriously by the crisis?
I.don’t.believe.that.the.crisis.has.affected.women.any.
more.than.it.has.affected.men..I.think.the.crisis.would.have.
affected.anyone.who.was.highly.leveraged.and.had.a.busi-
ness.that.was.not.in.a.particularly.strong.position..Anyone.
who.was.especially.tied.to.currency.would.have.been.af-
fected.more.than.those.who.were.not..
Do you think women would have more opportunity than men would during the crisis?
I.think.women.and.men.have.an.equal.opportunity.to.
become.entrepreneurs...Canadian.women.in.business.are.
just.emerging,.they.are.just.scratching.the.surface;.we.are.
far.from.being.a.mature.market..The.majority.of.businesses.
run.by.women.are.very.small.because.they.are.not.thinking.
big.yet..Each.generation.has.been.thinking.bigger.than.the.
previous.one..I.believe.time.will.be.very.good.to.women,.so.
men.watch.out!
What lessons will you take away from the current financial crisis?
Always.plan.for.the.worst..Very.often.in.business.people.
like.to.look.at.things.with.rose.coloured.glasses..I.say.take.
the.rose.coloured.glasses.off.and.be.prepared.because.
things.will.happen..The.business.world.as.we.know.it.has.
been.changing.drastically.for.the.past.10.to.15.years.with.the.
emergence.of.China.and.India,.and.very.few.people.are.even.
talking.about.the.emergence.of.South.America..Some.of.
those.economies.are.booming.and.those.are.the.markets.we.
have.to.compete.with.
What has surprised you most about businesses responses to the current financial crisis?
I.don’t.like.the.bailouts..I.am.very.against.socialism..I.
am.a.capitalist..I.do.not.believe.the.government.should.in-
terfere.in.business;.the.government’s.business.is.not.bailing.
out.poorly.managed.companies..Everybody.is.talking.about.
recovery.as.a.result.of.these.bailouts.but.they.are.not.going.
to.last.forever..What’s.going.to.happen.when.the.bailouts.
stop?.Has.the.economy.recovered?.In.my.opinion,.no,.it.has.
not.recovered.yet..Was.the.government.supposed.to.stabi-
lize.financial.sectors.and.set.certain.rules.and.regulations?.
Absolutely,.but.I.believe.that.they.have.over-corrected.with.
these.bailout.packages..At.the.end.of.the.day,.if.I.were.an.
American,.I.would.be.asking.myself.24.hours.a.day.who.is.
going.to.pay.for.it?.How.many.generations?
Do you think that if banks were better regulated in the United States some
of this could have been avoided?I.don’t.think.that.this.is.a.bank.issue..I.think.it.is.an.is-
sue.with.the.investment.banking.capital.market..The.greed.
became.a.prevailing.factor.on.the.Wall.Street..These.very.
young,.smart.kids.kept.running.around.figuring.out.easy.
ways.to.create.wealth.overnight.with.these.financial.instru-
ments.that.really.had.no.basis,.and.it.caught.up.with.them..
Do you think there is benefit in teaching ethics in a degree program?
Absolutely.there.is.a.benefit;.however,.for.me.business.
and.ethics.should.go.hand.in.hand..Businesses.are.not.that.
complex,.either.you.have.a.product.that.people.will.buy.
or.you.don’t..I.am.actually.not.a.big.supporter.of.all.these.
courses.on.corporate.governance.I’ve.seen.emerge.over.the.
last.10.years.since.Enron’s.demise..If.you.have.to.teach.a.
CEO.how.to.be.honest.then.it.is.time.to.remove.that.CEO.
and.replace.him.with.an.honest.individual..What.happened.
was.that.people.just.got.too.greedy,.too.creative,.and.too.
dishonest;.and.they.got.away.with.it.a.little.bit.at.a.time.
18 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
How did you get into business and what were your motives?
I.came.across.the.opportunity.in.the.late.1980s.and.my.
motive.was.really.just.to.make.enough.money.to.have.an.
income..My.motive.was.not.to.build.a.huge.company,.to.go.
international,.or.to.make.millions.of.dollars..What.moti-
vated.me.more.than.anything.was.that.the.energy.sector.
deregulated.in.Canada..It.was.the.first.jurisdiction.in.the.
world.to.deregulate..I.started.thinking,.“How.often.in.the.
20th.century.am.I.going.to.be.at.the.birth.of.a.brand.new.
industry?”.It.is.a.very.competitive.marketplace;.everyone.
is.trying.to.build.a.better.chair,.a.better.table,.a.better.TV...
This.was.a.race.that.we.all.had.an.equal.chance.to.win..
Had you thought, before that opportunity arose, of going into business for yourself?
Yes.I.did..I.came.to.Canada.and.made.many.mistakes,.
which.I.am.not.ashamed.of..Work-wise.I.made.bad.deci-
sions,.but.I.learned.from.all.of.my.mistakes...When.you.are.
in.a.situation.where.you.do.not.have.money.to.pay.rent.or.
feed.yourself.it.is.tough..I.know.what.it.means.to.be.poor.
and.I.am.not.embarrassed.to.talk.about.it.at.all..It.builds.
character.and.gave.me.a.lot.of.strength,.so.I.started.some-
thing.at.the.first.opportunity.I.saw.
What motivates you to stay in business?
Now.it.is.about.goals..I.am.a.very.goal-oriented.and.
hard-working.person.who.is.disciplined.and.focused..When.
I.started.this.entity.in.1997.with.a.couple.of.partners,.the.
goal.was.to.dominate.the.Ontario.market,.then.the.Cana-
dian.market..Next.I.wanted.to.dominate.one.state.in.the.
United.States.and.now.my.goal.is.that.I.want.to.dominate.
the.United.States..Once.we.become.a.dominant.player.in.
Canada.and.the.US,.and.I.once.I.turn.65,.I.think.I.am.going.
to.be.done..So.I.have.a.few.years.to.go,.not.many,.but.a.few..
How do you define entrepreneurial success?
I.determine.it.all.based.on.the.cash.the.business.in.gen-
erating..I.always.talk.about.distributable.cash,.but.if.sales.
are.great.I.want.to.see.it.reflected.on.the.bottom.line..I.am.
not.a.believer.that.the.amount.of.sales.is.the.only.volume.in.
the.business..If.you.have.a.very.high.increase.in.sales,.it.is.
logical.that.your.bottom.line.should.increase,.but.very.often.
we.see.that.it.does.not..I.am.brutal.looking.at.that.bottom.
line...That.is.the.only.way.I.define.success.in.the.business...
Is.that.bottom.line.increasing.year.over.year?.
What personal attributes do you think are most crucial to being
successful as an entrepreneur?I.think.you.have.to.be.laser.focused,.hard.working.and.
fair..That’s.it.
Do you think there is a right time for a woman to start a business?
Whenever.the.woman.feels.that.it.is.the.right.time..It.is.
something.that.is.up.to.the.individual..It.all.depends.on.the.
business.plan.and.the.product..Having.said.that,.sometimes.
we.do.things.too.late,.but.better.late.than.never..If.you.want.
to.be.in.your.own.business,.yesterday.is.the.day.that.you.
should.have.thought.about.it..I.think.I.would.have.been.
happier.if.I.got.into.this.industry.in.1986.instead.of.1989..
I.believe.that.women.are.far.more.analytical.and.cautious.
than.men,.and.sometimes.that.holds.us.back.
Do you think there is a benefit in waiting to be an entrepreneur?
I.believe.that.you.should.go.for.that.brass.ring.right.off.
the.bat..I.always.like.getting.people.out.of.University.better.
than.people.with.extensive.experience.because.my.belief.is.
that.they.have.not.had.time.to.develop.bad.habits..Different.
organizations.have.different.approaches.to.business,.which.
are.not.incorrect,.just.different..When.hiring.someone.from.
an.organization.with.a.philosophy.that.is.very.different.
than.ours,.I.have.to.spend.time.and.energy.deprogramming.
them.before.I.can.teach.them.about.our.ideas.and.culture..
Instead,.I.could.go.out.there.and.get.a.bright.young.gradu-
ate.that.is.going.to.learn.our.way,.right.away..
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 19
How do you balance your family and business responsibilities?
That.is.always.my.biggest.challenge.and.I.have.strug-
gled.with.it.over.the.last.20.years..I.am.a.single.parent,.and.
there.were.times.that.were.better.as.a.CEO.and.there.were.
times.that.were.better.as.a.mom..It.is.difficult,.particularly.
for.women,.because.there.is.that.expectation.of.maintaining.
a.full-time.job.at.home..
In.my.case,.I.had.children.when.I.started.my.business.
and.it.was.difficult..The.fact.is.that.the.initial.stages.of.start-
ing.a.business.are.very.tough.and.I.missed.many.things.with.
my.children..Fortunately,.I.brought.my.children.mentally.
into.the.business.and.told.them.when.they.were.very.young.
that.they.were.actually.my.first.partners..I.emphasized.that.
when.I.was.away,.I.was.not.there.because.I.wanted.to.give.
them.better.opportunities.than.I.had.when.I.came.to.this.
country..I.am.the.first.generation.of.my.family.in.Canada.
and.had.to.learn.everything.from.scratch,.whether.it.was.
English.or.culture.or.habits.or.business..Luckily.I.had.amaz-
ing.children.and.they.were.very.understanding.
Why do you think immigrants are so successful?
When.you.make.a.choice.to.leave.your.country.of.
birth.it.is.a.very.conscious.decision..You.make.that.choice.
because.you.want.to.make.more.of.yourself,.you.want.to.
create.and.carve.out.a.better.life..That,.in.combination.with.
the.lack.of.a.security.blanket,.makes.you.that.much.stronger.
than.the.individual.that.knows.they.have.something.to.fall.
back.on..In.my.case,.I.had.a.sink.or.swim.attitude...Every.
first.generation.immigrant.will.do.anything.just.to.succeed.
because.that.conscious.decision.was.made.and.they.hope.
for.the.best.for.the.next.generation..
What do you think the difference is between men and women entrepreneurs?
There.are.fewer.women,.but.I.do.not.think.there.are.any.
differences.whatsoever..Being.partial,.though,.I.think.that.
women.are.better..I.think.that.we.are.more.analytical.even.
though.we.often.get.accused.of.being.emotional..I.think.that.
we.are.far.more.rational.than.people.give.us.credit.for.in.
the.way.that.we.make.decisions..Having.said.that,.I.think.
the.average.woman.is.less.willing.to.take.a.chance.than.a.
man,.so.men.do.have.the.advantage.there..The.funding.for.
women.entrepreneurs.has.been.an.issue.but.it.is.improving.
Some research has suggested that women in business have more difficulty
building personal networks than do men. Do you agree and why or why not?
I.agree.with.that..Sometimes.women.do.not.say.any-
thing.to.each.other...I.observe.that.the.higher.women.move.
up.corporate.ladders.or.the.more.they.build.their.business-
es,.the.less.responsive.they.are.to.other.women,.and.that.is.
wrong,.that.is.a.mistake..I.think.it.can.be.linked.to.the.fact.
that.not.enough.women.mentor.other.women,.so.from.that.
perspective.the.male.group.is.more.organized.but.I.am.see-
ing.a.change.for.the.better..
Do you belong to any professional associations?
I.belong.to.almost.every.association.regarding.women..
I.feel.it.is.important.to.help.financially.and.to.associate.my.
name..Fortunately,.we.do.have.examples.of.women.who.
have.broken.down.barriers,.and.the.reason.I.like.to.speak.to.
young.women.and.young.people.in.general.is.to.show.them.
that.it.is.possible..The.fact.that.I.got.to.play.in.the.big.league.
is.good.for.other.women.to.see..
What advice would you give to young women interested in becoming entrepreneurs?
The.advice.I.would.give.is.to.fall.in.love.with.the.busi-
ness.you.are.trying.to.build,.but.fall.in.love.with.it.rational-
ly,.analyze.the.product,.the.offering,.the.business.case,.and.
then.just.go.for.it..Just.do.it..
The.only.other.thing.that.is.important.to.add.is.that.
people.should.not.be.scared,.particularly.in.these.times..
They.are.not.good.times.but.fear.is.a.dangerous.thing.in.
business..Remember.the.Chinese.proverb:.crisis.means.op-
portunity..Don’t.look.at.this.time.as.a.time.of.crisis,.look.at.
it.as.a.time.of.opportunity..
From this interview, the following facts captured my mind:
1.. Always.plan.for.the.worst...If.a.crisis.occurs.and.you.
are.prepared.for.it,.you.will.be.well.positioned.to.use.it.
as.an.opportunity.
2.. The.best.time.to.start.your.own.business.is.when.you.
feel.ready.
3.. There.are.differences.between.women.and.men.entre-
preneurs,.but.that.does.not.mean.women.cannot.be.as.
successful.as.men.in.running.their.own.businesses..
20 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
How Strongly Is Gender Influencing Discrimina-tion in the Marketplace?Evidence from Recent Studies By Megan Armstead & Bruce AndersonCentre for Management DevelopmentFaculty of Business AdministrationUniversity of Regina
AbstractThis.paper.summarizes.find-ings.in.four.studies.recently.published.on.the.gaps.between.male.and.female.entrepreneurs.and.how.these.gaps.may.lead.to.discrimination...The.studies.chosen.discuss.different.topics.such.as.social.capital,.access.to.banks,.the.role.of.women.in.family.businesses,.and.the.en-vironment.needed.for.women.in.business.to.thrive....
RésuméCet.article.résume.les.résultats.de.quatre.études.récemment.publiées.sur.les.différences.entre.les.entrepreneurs.mascu-lins.et.féminins.et.sur.la.façon.dont.ces.différences.peuvent.conduire.à.une.discrimination..Les.études.choisies.abordent.différents.sujets.notamment.:.le.capital.social,.l’accès.aux.banques,.le.rôle.des.femmes.dans.les.entreprises.familiales,.et.l’environnement.nécessaire.pour.que.les.femmes.pros-pèrent.dans.les.affaires.
Introduction
IIN ITS 2009 REPORT,.the.Global.Entrepreneurship.Monitor.
(2010).found.that.the.gap.between.male.and.female.entrepreneurs.
is.different.from.one.country.to.another..The.ratio.of.male.entrepre-
neurs.to.females.varies.in.different.countries..This.leads.us.to.wonder.about.
the.extent.to.which.gender.is.a.basis.of.discrimination.for.entrepreneurial.
activities..To.answer.this.question,.we.will.explore.four.studies.published.
recently.on.this.topic..These.include.the.study.by.Muravyev,.Talavera.and.
Schäfer.(2009).on.the.financial.constraints.for.women.entrepreneurs,.the.
study.by.Rodriguez.and.Santos.(2009).on.the.influence.of.social.capital,.the.
study.by.Vadnjal.and.Zupan.(2009).on.the.role.of.women.in.family.busi-
nesses,.and.lastly.the.study.by.Kobeissi.(2010).on.gender.factors.in.entre-
preneurship..
Do Banks Discriminate Against Women Entrepreneurs?
An.international.study.was.done.by.Muravyev,.Talavera.and.Schäfer.
(2009).on.5,534.entrepreneurs.from.34.European.and.Asian.countries.
including.low,.middle.and.high.income.countries..The.sample.was.26%.
female..The.study.aimed.to.examine.if.female.entrepreneurs.were.discrimi-
nated.against.by.banks.for.loans.on.the.basis.of.gender..The.tendency.is.
for.banks.to.lend.money.either.to.those.who.can.pay.it.back,.to.those.who.
are.similar.to.the.lenders,.or.to.those.who.are.connected.through.social.
networks.(Prasad,.2009)..Findings.indicate.that.37%.of.all.males.and.27%.
of.all.females.that.have.required.credit.have.been.successful.in.receiving.
a.bank.loan..The.details.of.the.results.bring.more.information.(Figures.1.
&2)..For.example,.60%.of.males.applied.for.credit,.among.these.only.66%.
persevered,.and.out.of.that.group.93%.were.successful..For.females,.56%.
applied.for.credit,.among.these.only.53%.persevered,.and.91%.of.them.were.
successful..Overall.there.were.fewer.females.who.applied.for.a.loan.and.
among.those.who.applied.there.were.fewer.women.who.persevered..When.
considering.the.level.of.development.of.the.country,.the.results.indicate.that.
the.level.of.discrimination.by.gender.is.lower.in.developed.countries.than.in.
less.developed.countries..
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 21
Does Social Capital Discriminate Against Female Entrepreneurs in the Marketplace?
A.study.performed.in.Seville,.Spain.by.Rodriguez.and.
Santos.(2009).set.out.to.determine.whether.or.not.social.
capital.can.influence.behaviour.and.results.for.both.gen-
ders.in.the.process.of.firm.creation..A.survey.questionnaire.
was.distributed.to.the.target.population.of.the.province.of.
Seville.resulting.in.a.relatively.small.sample.size.of.48.en-
trepreneurs,.56%.of.whom.were.women..Overall,.it.is.stated.
that.women.lack.social.capital.which.does.influence.the.
stages.of.firm.creation..This.can.be.explained.in.the.finding.
showing.that.women.perceived.less.support.from.family,.
friends,.and.colleagues.in.their.pursuit.of.entrepreneurship.
relative.to.men..For.example,.when.considering.cognitive.
social.capital,.17.8%.of.women.believe.their.family.approved.
of.their.decision.to.become.an.entrepreneur.in.comparison.
with.33.1%.of.men..Additionally,.it.was.found.that.only.
Figure 1 – Loan Application Process Source:CompilationoffindingsbyMuravyev,TalaveraandSchäfer(2009).
Figure 2 – Graphical Representation of Loan Application ProcessSource:compilationoffindingsbyMuravyev,
TalaveraandSchäfer(2009).
15.7%.of.women.entrepreneurs.were.able.to.find.a.role.
model.of.their.own.gender.in.contrast.with.35.8%.of.men..
This.was.another.factor.that.could.limit.the.development.
of.a.social.network.which.is.ultimately.beneficial.for.the.
attainment.of.resources.and.advice..The.findings.outlined.in.
Table.1.and.Figure.3conclude.that.gender.is.an.active.vari-
able.in.determining.the.success.of.entrepreneurs.during.the.
process.of.firm.creation..Careful.consideration.needs.to.be.
given.to.the.obstacles.that.women.in.this.region.of.study.are.
facing.as.they.do.hold.importance.in.the.development.and.
growth.of.economies.around.the.world.
Table 1 - Findings with Regards to the Decision to Become an Entrepreneur
Variable Women (%) Men (%)Approvaloffamily 17.8 33.1Approvaloffriends 18.8 31.8Approvalofcolleagues 18.4 32.4Beliefthatwomenfindlesssupportinsociety 15.7 35.9Beliefthatwomenreceivemoresupportfromgovernmentagencies 17.6 33.3Abilitytofindrolemodelsofmyowngender 15.7 35.9
Source:CompilationoffindingsinRodriguezandSantos(2007).
Figure 3 – Graphical representation of findings
22 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
What Role do Women Play in Family Businesses?
Vadnjal.and.Zupan.(2009).presented.a.study.on.the.
role.of.women.in.Slovenian.family.firms..Data.were.collect-
ed.from.107.respondents.in.2007.in.order.to.test.multiple.
propositions.in.this.new.area.of.study..Eighteen.percent.of.
the.sample.was.comprised.of.women.who.held.CEO.posi-
tions,.while.46%.were.in.the.second.managerial.rank..The.
major.statements.to.confirm.were:.
•. women.rarely.act.as.CEOs.in.family.firms.and.are.often.
in.the.second.level.of.management
•. women.are.modestly.represented.in.the.ownership.
structure.of.family.firms.and.this.remains.an.unimport-
ant.issue
•. differences.exist.in.the.views.of.men.and.women.with.
regard.to.transitional.issues.
•. women.exercise.different.management.style.in.family.
firms...
.
Table 2 - Demonstrated Support of Propositions
Proposition Yes NoUn-ConfirmedWomenrarelyactasCEO X Womenaremodestlyrepresentedinownershipstructure X Viewoftransitionalissuesdifferamonggenders X Womenexercisedifferentmanagementstyle X
Source:SummaryoffindingsbyVadnjalandZupan(2009).
As.the.findings.demonstrate,.the.majority.of.the.propo-
sitions.were.supported.by.the.collected.data..In.addition.to.
the.answers.provided.from.the.findings,.it.has.been.found.
that.women.are.not.opposed.to.these.conditions.and.do.
not.want.to.disturb.the.operations.of.the.company..Over-
all,.however,.the.role.of.women.in.family.firms.can.often.
go.unrecognized.and.poorly.rewarded.although.they.have.
very.beneficial.contributions.that.can.create.a.competitive.
advantage..Largely,.the.women’s.role.is.underestimated.
especially.when.considering.their.contribution.to.a.more.
people-oriented.managerial.style.
In What Country’s Environment Could Woman Entrepreneurs Start More Businesses and Prosper?
Kobeissi.(2010).tried.to.answer.to.this.question.in.a.
study.carried.out.in.149.countries.to.examine.the.impact.of.
five.factors.frequently.mentioned.in.the.literature.as.deter-
minants.of.woman.entrepreneurship..Factors.were:.
•. prevalence.of.educated.women.(%.of.females.enrolled.
in.secondary.education)
•. gender.empowerment.(gender.inequality)
•. extent.of.female.economic.activity.(employment.un-
dertaken.by.women.above.the.age.of.15.in.agriculture,.
industry,.and.service.sectors)
•. female.to.male.earnings.ratios.(ratio.of.female.earnings.
to.male.earnings)
•. fertility.rate.(number.of.children)
•. The.study.aimed.to.determine.differences.in.the.im-
pacts.of.these.factors.on.female.entrepreneurship.in.
developed.versus.developing.countries...Female.entre-
preneurship.was.measured.in.two.ways:.
•. number.of.female.entrepreneurship.start-ups.per.100.
adults.in.the.country’s.population
•. female.to.male.entrepreneurship.start-up.ratios.
Table.3.below.shows.the.major.results.found.
Table 3 - Environment Determinants on Woman Entrepreneurial Activities
Factor Developed countries Developing countries
Femaleentrepreneurial Femaletomale Femaleentrepreneurial Femaletomale start-ups entrepreneurial start-ups entrepreneurial start-upratio* start-upratio*Femaleeducation + + + +Genderempowerment + Femaleeconomicactivities + + +Femaletomaleearning - - - -Fertility + +
Source:CompilationoffindingsinKobeissi(2010).Wehaveretainedonlyfindingswithasignificancelevelof5%orless.+=positivelyrelated,and-=negativelyrelated.Positivelyrelatedfemaletomaleentrepreneurialstart-upratiosdonotindicatethatthattherearemorewomenentrepreneursthanmen.Theyindicateapositiveeffectontheratioofwomentomenentrepreneurs.
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 23
Findings.indicate.some.similar.gender-related.effects.
on.female.entrepreneurship.in.developed.and.develop-
ing.countries..Specifically,.higher.overall.female.education.
levels.and.lower.female.earnings.relative.to.men.facilitate.
female.entrepreneurship.activities.in.any.country,.measured.
both.by.higher.numbers.of.female.start-ups.and.the.higher.
ratios.of.female.to.male.entrepreneurs..
However,.these.findings.also.indicate.that.some.gender-
related.issues.affect.female.entrepreneurship.differently.in.
developed.and.developing.countries..For.example,.higher.
female.participation.in.the.economy.increases.the.likelihood.
of.female.entrepreneurial.start-up.in.developed.countries,.
but.does.not.affect.female.entrepreneurship.in.developing.
countries..Conversely,.in.developing.countries,.fertility.rate.
has.a.positive.impact.on.female.entrepreneurship,.but.has.
no.such.effect.in.developed.countries..
From.the.results.of.the.four.studies.above,.we.can.sug-
gest.the.following.tips.to.women.entrepreneurs:
•. Be.vocal.about.your.needs.(i.e..higher.wage,.recogni-
tion,.etc.)
•. Become.involved.and.pursue.opportunities.
•. Be.flexible.–.persevere.through.obstacles.and.maintain.
a.positive.outlook
•. Build.social.and.professional.networks.–.including.
formal.and.informal.advisors.as.this.is.more.credible.to.
lenders.and.suppliers
•. Assert.yourself.with.financial.lenders.to.ensure.you.
are.getting.the.best.interest.rate.possible.and.lowest.
amount.of.collateral.possible
•. Use.social.networks.to.validate.your.business.concepts.
and.gain.“moral”.support,.including.business.profes-
sionals,.to.pursue.legitimate.opportunities
References
Bosma,Niels,andJonathanLevie.(2010)“2009ExecutiveReport.”GlobalEntrepreneurshipMonitor(Babson)
Kobeissi,Nada.(2010)“Genderfactorsandfemaleentrepreneurship:Internationalevidenceandpolicyimplications.”JournalofInternationalEntrepreneurship(8)1:1-35.
Muravyev,Alexander,OleksandrTalavera,andDorotheaSchäfer.(2009)“Entrepreneurs’genderandfinancialconstraints:Evidencefrominternationaldata.”JournalofComparativeEconomics(37)2:270-286.
Prasad,RoseM.(2009)“LoanHurdles:DoBanksDiscriminateAgainstWomenEntrepreneurs?”TheAcademyofManagementPerspectives(23)4:91-93.
Rodriguez,MariaJosé,andFranciscoJavierSantos.(2007)“Womennascententrepreneursandsocialcapitalintheprocessoffirmcreation.”InternationalEntrepreneurshipandManagementJournal(5)1:45-64.
Vadnjal,Jaka,andBlažZupan.(2009)“TheRoleofWomeninFamilyBusinesses.”EconomicBusinessReview(11)2:159-177.
... higher overall female education levels and lower female earnings relative to men facilitate
female entrepreneurship activities in any country, measured both by higher numbers of female
start-ups and the higher ratios of female to male entrepreneurs.
24 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
Nascent and Established Women Entrepreneurs: Are Their Challenges and Prospects Different?8
By Jean-Marie Nkongolo-Bakenda, University of Regina
Yves RobichaudLaurentian University
Egbert McGrawUniversity of Moncton
Yvon GasseLaval University
AbstractThis.paper.reports.findings.from.interviews.with.two.different.segments.of.female.entrepre-neurs:.those.with.up.to.42.months.in.business.and.those.with.more.than.42.months.in.business...It.is.a.question.and.answer.format.accompanied.by.analysis.and.comparison.of.the.responses...The.entrepreneurs.speak.candidly.about.such.topics.as.motivation,.success,.obstacles,.and.work-life.balance.
RésuméCet.article.présente.les.résul-tats.des.entrevues.avec.deux.différents.groupes.de.femmes.entrepreneures:.celles.qui.ont.42.mois.en.entreprise.et.celles.de.plus.de.42.mois.en.entreprise..Il.s’agit.d’un.format.questions.et.réponses.accompagné.d’une.analyse.et.de.la.comparaison.des.réponses.entre.les.deux.groupes..Les.entrepreneures.parlent.franchement.sur.des.sujets.tels.que.la.motivation,.la.réussite,.les.obstacles,.et.l’équilibre.travail-vie.personnelle.
Introduction
THIS STUDY AIMS TO IDENTIFY CHAL-
LENGES.and.prospects.for.women.entrepre-
neurs..It.is.part.of.a.larger.study.carried.out.
in.different.parts.of.Canada.on.problems.and.challenges.
faced.by.women.entrepreneurs..The.current.paper.
reports.responses.from.nine.woman.entrepreneurs.from.
Saskatchewan,.interviewed.in.two.separate.groups:.
the.first.including.four.entrepreneurs.with.less.than.42.
months.in.business.and.the.second.including.five.entre-
preneurs.with.42.months.or.more.in.business..Women.
entrepreneurs.with.42.months.or.more.in.business.are.
considered.to.be.established.and.have.been.assigned.
names.starting.with.the.letter.“A”.in.this.report..Those.
who.have.been.in.business.for.less.than.42.months.
are.considered.as.nascent.and.have.been.given.names.
starting.with.the.letter.“B”9...All.interviewees.were.
contacted.and.invited,.following.our.request,.by.the.
Manager.of.Regina.Business.Centre.in.coordination.with.the.Manager.of.Saskatchewan.
Women.Entrepreneurs..The.interviews.were.conducted.as.two.focus.groups,.lasting.one.
hour.each,.on.May.8,.2008.in.the.conference.room.of.the.Regina.Business.Centre..The.
two.focus.groups.were.audio.taped.with.two.people.taking.notes..To.respect.anonymity.
and.with.the.agreement.of.participants,.no.identifying.details.about.the.interviewees.
are.disclosed..Generally,.women.were.40.to.50.years.old.and.most.of.them.were.run-
ning.businesses.in.the.service.sector..These.businesses.were.serving.the.local.market.
and.were.created.from.scratch.by.the.interviewed.managers..None.were.franchises..The.
report.reflects.as.closely.as.possible.the.actual.wording.used.in.questions.and.responses...
Each.question.and.answer.section.is.followed.by.a.brief.summary.by.the.researchers..
Thereafter,.a.final.conclusion.is.drawn.
The.first.objective.of.this.report.is.to.share.what.these.women.entrepreneurs.have.
said.without.getting.lost.in.aggregative.concepts.of.previous.studies.or.building.a.theory.
of.woman.entrepreneurship..Some.responses.may.seem.surprising.and.even.out.of.
women entrepreneurs
interviewed did not
apply for funds from
banks. Some reported
this was due to the
fact that they did
not have sufficient
previous experience
in business and
thought that banks
might reject their
applications.
8 Wewouldliketothankthenineentrepreneurswhoagreedtospendtheirprecioustimeforthisinterview.Secondly,manythankstoLauraSmallandDebraNeedhamforhavingconvincedthesewomentotakepartintheinterviews,andforhavingfacilitatedtheirorganization.ThankstoAngelMbuyiforherassistanceand,finally,ourmanythankstothetwoblindreviewersandHilaryHoranfortheircommentsandsuggestions.
9 Theterms“nascent”and“established”andtherelateddefinitionsareborrowedfromtheGlobalEntrepreneurshipMonitor(GEM)project.(http://www.gemconsortium.org/)
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 25
context,.but.this.should.invite.deeper.reflection.rather.
than.considering.them.to.be.inappropriate.or.irrational..To.
provide.some.perspective,.however,.comparisons.between.
some.responses.and.findings.from.a.similar.study.carried.
out.in.Sudbury.by.Robichaud,.Cachon.and.Haq.(2010).will.
be.made.where.possible.
Q1: What motivates you to stay in business?Anne:.“I.love.the.job..I.feel.that.if.you.love.what.you.do,.the.
money.will.follow..It.brings.me.happiness.and.I.feel.
that.I.have.accomplished.a.small.achievement.after.10.
years.”
Aymee:.“The.time.flexibility.is.important..If.I.had.to.work.a.
9.to.5.job.I.would.not.be.happy.”
Ashley:.“What.motivates.me.to.stay.in.business.is.my.cour-
age,.devotion.and.reputation..Flexibility.was.impor-
tant.for.me.too..I.realized.that.I.wanted.to.make.more.
money.if.I.went.on.my.own.as.opposed.to.working.for.
somebody.else,.the.freedom.of.doing.what.you.want.”
Andria:.“The.motivation.is.financial.balance.and.surviv-
ing.while.others.quit;.building.clientele,.growth.and.
uniqueness..Also,.I.like.being.my.own.boss.because.I.
can.allow.myself.time.off.or.put.more.hours.in.”
Beverley:.“I.love.and.enjoy.the.autonomy,.the.education.
goal.and.the.flexibility.”
Betty:.“I.enjoy.the.people.connection,.the.flexibility.and.the.
freedom.”
Brigitte:.“I.enjoy.the.independence.and.this.kind.of.work..
I.am.happy.when.I.meet.new.clients’.needs.and.make.
new.contacts..Also,.I.am.enjoying.the.accomplishment.
of.my.desire.to.change.profession.”
Barbara:.“I.get.to.set.my.own.goals.and.choose.my.own.
clients.”
Love.of.the.job,.autonomy,.a.flexible.schedule,.connec-
tion.with.people,.freedom,.and.happiness.are.examples.of.
opportunity-driven.motives.mentioned.by.members.of.the.
two.groups..However,.some.women.interviewed.in.the.two.
groups.mentioned.necessity-driven.motives.such.as.finan-
cial.balance..Overall,.motives.mentioned.are.similar.to.the.
four.categories.identified.by.Robichaud,.Cachon,.and.Haq.
(2010),.namely:.independence,.family,.security,.and.income.
factors.
Q2: How do you define entrepreneurial success or performance?Anne:.“I.define.success.by.how.happy.I.am.on.any.given.
day.in.my.professional.endeavour;.I.can’t.only.rely.on.
people’s.perception.of.the.level.of.my.success.by.how.
famous.I.am..I.can’t.leave.it.to.people’s.perception.or.
wait.for.tomorrow.to.be.happy..I.am.happy.because.I.
have.been.doing.this.for.14.years..“
Aymee:.“Success.is.loving.what.you.are.doing..For.me,.I.
am.not.motivated.by.sitting.in.a.room.full.of.entrepre-
neurs..My.definition.of.success.is.when.I.can.go.home.
after.work.and.can.look.at.things.to.see.what.I.have.
accomplished”
Andria:.“Success.for.me.is.when.I.have.time.to.spend.with.
my.family.without.worrying.about.my.business.while.I.
am.doing.it..The.balance.between.work.and.family,.and.
me.moving.forward.even.with.all.the.adversity.”
Ashley:.“To.define.success.is.difficult.for.me.because.I.
have.three.companies.that.are.all.at.different.stages.of.
growth..For.my.consulting.business,.it’s.when.people.
start.coming.to.me.and.I.am.not.advertising.because.I.
have.reputation.and.that.is.an.accomplishment..For.my.
other.businesses,.the.success.is.more.the.fact.that.I.met.
out.my.competition.and.am.still.making.money.”
Barbara:.“I.define.my.success.by.moving.forward.every.
day,.constant.learning.and.the.feedback.I.receive.from.
people,.also.challenges.that.I.overcome,.the.lifestyle.
that.I.have.achieved.and.when.I.make.money.”
Beverley:.“The.milestone,.reaching.the.goal.that.I.have.set.
for.myself.and.much.more.”
Betty:.“The.opportunity.to.be.creative,.and.the.connec-
tions.I.make.with.people..The.possibility.to.use.all.of.
my.potential.in.different.ways..Achieving.success.on.a.
daily.basis.by.looking.backward.and.realizing.that.I.did.
more.things.better.than.before.”
Brigitte:.“Meeting.deadlines,.learning.something.new.and.
overcoming.the.fear.that.there.are.things.I.do.not.
know.”
26 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
Nascent.women.entrepreneurs.define.success.mostly.
in.terms.of.personal.achievements.as.seen.by.themselves.or.
others.and.time.redeemed.to.stay.with.family..Established.
women.entrepreneurs.measure.success.in.relation.to.their.
businesses,.namely,.business.goal.achievements,.market.
share.increase,.meeting.business.deadlines,.learning,.and.
social.connections..In.the.Robichaud,.Cachon,.and.Haq.
(2010).study,.respondents.had.ranked.the.following.fac-
tors.in.the.first.four.positions.as.business.success.indica-
tors:.“reputation.for.honesty,”.“good.customer.service,”.
“hard‐work,”.and.“friendliness.to.customers.”.However,.
Robichaud,.Cachon,.and.Haq.(2010).did.not.differentiate.
responses.in.terms.of.length.of.time.in.business..Nonethe-
less,.success.factors.mentioned.by.Saskatchewan.women.
entrepreneurs.to.an.open.question.are.among.those.identi-
fied.in.previous.studies.
Q3: Which indicators do you use to determine the level of success of your business?Ashley:”.I.would.have.to.say.transferring.skills.to.em-
ployees.or.educating.and.marketing..Also,.staying.or.
surviving.in.the.business.while.other.quit.”
Andria:.“For.me.it.will.have.to.be.financial.stability”
Anne:.“Reputation,.courage.and.devotion.will.have.to.be.
my.indicators.for.success.”
Bonnie.:.“When.I.stopped.planning.things.around.my.busi-
ness.”
Brigitte:.“Setting.specific.measurable.goals.and.achiev-
ing.them,.challenging.a.new.task,.motivating.other.
individuals.”
Betty3:.“To.have.my.own.money.and.no.financial.problems.”
The.firm’s.survival.seems.to.be.the.main.indicator.of.
success.in.the.two.groups,.as.the.indicators.mentioned.
relate.to.the.firm’s.market.stability.and.getting.resources.
necessary.to.its.survival..
Q4: Which were the most important barriers you faced when seeking money for your business?
All.respondents.(As.&.Bs):.Unanimously,.they.did.not.
have.problems.borrowing.money.from.banks.because.they.
did.not.try..They.started.with.their.own.money.
It.seems.that.women.entrepreneurs.interviewed.did.not.
apply.for.funds.from.banks..Some.reported.this.was.due.to.
the.fact.that.they.did.not.have.sufficient.previous.experience.
in.business.and.thought.that.banks.might.reject.their.appli-
cations..In.the.Robichaud,.Cachon,.and.Haq.(2010).study,.
“access.to.capital”.was.not.considered.important.by.women.
entrepreneurs,.as.most.of.them.did.not.use.much.external.
financing..Furthermore,.the.literature.review.by.Robichaud,.
Cachon,.and.Haq.(2010).had.indicated.that,.generally,.
many.of.the.female.entrepreneurs.had.the.perception.that.
money.lenders.asked.for.more.information.from.them.be-
cause.of.their.gender..This.reason.was.rejected.by.the.9.Sas-
katchewan.women.interviewed.as.they.linked.the.situation.
more.to.the.lack.of.experience.rather.than.gender..However,.
the.fear.to.apply.for.bank.funds.does.not.mean.that.women.
entrepreneurs.are.not.in.need.of.money..An.in-depth.
analysis.of.data.from.the.Sudbury.study.by.Robichaud,.Ca-
chon,.and.Haq.(2010).revealed.that.the.following.obstacles.
explained.more.than.30%.of.the.variation.of.female.entre-
preneurs.in.Sudbury.with.respect.to.obstacles:.“obtaining.
long.term.financial.capital,”.“obtaining.short.term.financial.
capital,”.“unavailability.of.skilled.labour,”.“lack.of.market-
ing.training,”.and.“lack.of.management.training.”
Q5: How do you balance your family and business responsibilities?Ashley:.“My.family,.especially.my.children,.they.know.
that.this.is.important..I.do.bring.in.some.help.for.my.
responsibilities.at.home..I.honestly.put.more.time.into.
the.business.than.I.do.at.home..“
Aymee:.“I.bring.in.outside.help..I.separate.tasks.between.
home.and.work.”
Andria:.“I.had.to.hire.someone.to.help.and.to.look.after.the.
business.when.I.needed.to.spend.time.with.family.”
Anne:.“My.husband.and.I.knew.that.sooner.or.later.we.were.
going.to.have.to.compromise.”.
10Bonniejoinedthegroup15minuteslater.Shehasbeenbriefedabouttheobjectiveanddevelopmentofthemeetingandinvitedtocontinueparticipating.
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 27
Bonnie:.“I.find.myself.having.a.lot.of.patience.and.I.also.do.
my.own.time.management.”
Beverley:.“I.tried.to.tie.my.business.with.my.personal.
situation..Age.was.a.factor.as.my.children.had.already.
moved.out.”
Barbara:.“It.is.not.easy.to.work.at.home.when.there.is.
another.family.member.at.home..My.family.members.
understand.that.there.are.things.to.be.done.and.that.I.
needed.their.support.”
Brigitte:.“It’s.challenging.for.me.and.family..I.have.to.
schedule.activities.and.dates..There.is.no.separation.
between.family.and.business.”
Betty:.“My.husband.works.in.the.same.business;.we.have.a.
schedule.tied.to.each.activity..I.am.bringing.in.employ-
ees.to.do.the.job.”
Almost.all.interviewed.women.affirmed.having.come.
to.business.at.an.advanced.age.where.their.family.members.
were.more.of.a.help.to.the.business.than.an.encumbrance..
The.most.important.means.used.to.reconcile.family.and.
business.activities.are.related.to.care.in.schedule.prepara-
tion,.the.goodwill.and.support.of.other.family.members,.
and.the.hiring.of.help..Family.support.of.women.entrepre-
neurs.was.also.found.to.be.important.in.the.Sudbury.study,.
where.38%.of.respondents.had.a.spouse.actively.involved.
in.the.woman.entrepreneur’s.business.and.20%.had.one.or.
more.children.actively.working.within.the.business.
Q6: Are you participating in business support networks (including professional associations and business centres)?A’s:.They.all.said.yes,.but.specified.that.they.were.not.
necessarily.involved.in.a.women’s.organization.but.in.
any.network.that.could.allow.them.to.meet.with.more.
entrepreneurs..At.the.beginning.they.joined.every.
network.until.realizing.that.not.every.network.worked.
for.them.
B’s:.All.said.yes.and.affirmed.appreciation.for.the.involve-
ment.in.networks,.but.only.if.they.help.in.some.way.to.
advance.their.business.activities..Some.of.them.found.
that.conversations.similar.to.the.one.held.during.the.
interview.were.useful.as.they.allowed.them.to.know.
what.people.like.themselves.were.doing..The.Sudbury.
study.did.not.specifically.address.this.issue.
Q7: Are there any other obstacles/barriers that you have faced during the conduct of your business?Andria:.“Competitors’.pricing.are.the.same.as.the.whole.
house..Regina.is.behind.compared.to.other.cities..
People.expect.Saskatchewan.entrepreneurs.to.move.to.
another.bigger.city.”
Anne:.“Risk.of.not.making.money.or.serving.in.the.in-
dustry..The.age.gap.between.our.generation.and.the.
younger.generation..Local.entrepreneurs.are.underval-
ued.”
Aymee:.“Business.Development.Bank.is.not.so.developed..
Government.requirements.change.very.often.”
Ashley:.“Saskatchewan.has.a.lot.of.programs.for.every-
thing,.which.are.available.for.the.young.generation.who.
is.not.necessarily.taking.advantage.of.it..The.younger.
people.want.to.do.less.for.more.money.”
Bonnie:.“They.need.more.customer.services.”
Brigitte:.“I.have.never.been.a.manager.before..I.had.to.
learn.management.skills.because.this.is.a.new.field.
with.which.I.am.not.familiar..I.had.barriers.with.tech-
nological.skills..I.am.not.up.to.date.with.technology.”
Betty:.“I.had.a.standard.product.that.could.not.be.custom-
ized..It.was.a.challenge.”
Barbara:.“There.is.low.credibility.of.home-based.busi-
nesses..Working.at.home.does.not.mean.being.off..My.
lawyer.thinks.that.I.am.off.and.they.are.learning.about.
what.I.am.doing.”
Nascent.entrepreneurs.identify.challenges.related.to.
the.external.business.environment.such.as.the.market.size,.
competition.and.survival..Established.entrepreneurs.identi-
fied.challenges.related.to.the.internal.business.environment.
such.as.managerial.skill.acquisition,.product.customization,.
service.delivery.and.reputation.building..Overall,.there.is.a.
feeling.that.local.entrepreneurs.are.not.as.well.recognized.
or.supported.as.their.colleagues.from.larger.cities.
28 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
Q8: Which are the main challenges that female entrepreneurs will face in the future?Anne:.“The.generational.issues.with.the.young.people.who.
put.emphasis.more.on.the.’me’.”.
Bonnie:.“The.young.generation.wants.to.make.more.money.
with.so.very.little.skills.and.efforts.”
Brigitte:.“Work.life.balance.will.always.be.an.issue.”
Beverley:.“The.gender.challenge.will.continue.depending.on.
the.industry..Women.are.more.and.more.accepted.”
Differences.between.generations.with.respect.to.the.
attitude.toward.work.has.been.mentioned.by.members.from.
nascent.and.established.entrepreneurs.as.something.that.
will.be.a.challenge.in.the.future..In.addition,.some.estab-
lished.entrepreneurs.affirm.that.women.are.increasingly.
accepted.in.the.marketplace.and.that.the.problem.of.gender.
differences.in.the.marketplace.will.probably.exist.only.in.
some.industries..The.Sudbury.study.(2010:.57).found.that.
“difficulties.in.recruiting.adequately.trained.personnel,.
infrastructural.problems,.as.well.as.tax.and.regulations.re-
lated.problems.were.still.a.vivid.preoccupation.among.small.
business.people.in.the.middle.of.the.2009.recession.”
We.cannot.generalize.the.position.of.nine.women.to.all.
women.entrepreneurs,.but.we.hope.that.the.above.women.
entrepreneurs’.statements.have.excited.your.thinking.about.
your.own.businesses,.or.those.that.you.assist.with.their.
daily.activities..As.researchers,.we.have.made.the.following.
observations.based.on.their.responses:
1.. Some.women.entrepreneurs,.nascent.or.estab-
lished,.are.necessity-driven.entrepreneurs.start-
ing.enterprises.to.improve.their.quality.of.life.and.
working.conditions,.while.others.are.opportunity-
driven..These.types.of.motives.should.not.neces-
sarily.be.attributed.to.gender;.they.may.also.result.
from.general.economic.conditions..Therefore,.all.
types.of.entrepreneurship.should.be.encouraged.
among.women.
2.. Nascent.entrepreneurs.consider.success.with.
respect.to.personal.achievements.while.established.
entrepreneurs.consider.success.with.respect.to.
the.firm’s.achievements..However,.the.two.groups.
consider.business.survival.to.be.paramount.as.an.
indicator.of.success..
3.. Both.nascent.and.established.women.entrepre-
neurs.did.not.apply.for.bank.loans.because.they.did.
not.expect.their.applications.to.be.successful..This.
behavior.is.not.based.on.gender,.but.on.fear.of.not.
satisfying.the.bank.requirements.for.experience.
and.other.criteria..Some.of.the.women.entrepre-
neurs.think.that.discrimination.on.the.basis.of.
gender.is.no.longer.a.major.issue.in.the.Canadian.
business.environment.
4.. Interviewed.women.started.business.at.an.ad-
vanced.age,.when.children.were.more.of.a.support.
than.a.burden..Scheduling.was.the.most.important.
means.used.to.reconcile.family.and.business.duties.
5.. Networks.are.important,.but.only.when.they.allow.
the.entrepreneur.to.share.experience.with.other.
people.facing.similar.challenges..Informal.network-
ing.is.preferred.by.the.entrepreneurs.over.formal.
networking.
6.. In.their.managerial.activities,.nascent.entrepre-
neurs.perceive.more.challenges.from.the.firm’s.
external.environment.while.established.entrepre-
neurs.perceive.more.challenges.from.the.firm’s.
internal.environment.
7.. In.the.future,.inter-generational.differences.seem.
to.be.the.main.concern.for.the.women.entrepre-
neurs.interviewed.
Reference:
Robichaud,Yves,Cachon,Jean-CharlesandHaq,Rana.(2010)Motives,SuccessFactors,andBarriersamongCanadianFemaleEntrepreneurs:TheCaseofGreaterSudbury.EntrepreneurialPracticeReview.1(2):36-65.
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 29
Resources for Women EntrepreneursBy Laura M. SmallCEO of Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.,President of the Canadian Council for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship (2009-2010).
AbstractThis.article.details.five.steps.that.female.entrepreneurs.are.recom-mended.to.follow.when.starting.up.a.business..It.outlines.the.various.reasons.why.a.business.may.fail.and.how.the.characteristics.of.female.entrepreneurs.may.contribute.to.the.avoidance.of.these.setbacks....It.also.lists.numerous.helpful.re-sources.for.women.who.seek.further.information.or.support.on.business.establishment.
RésuméCet.article.présente.les.cinq.étapes.que.les.femmes.entrepreneures.sont.invitées.à.suivre.lors.du.démarrage.d’une.entreprise..Il.expose.les.dif-férentes.raisons.pour.lesquelles.une.entreprise.peut.échouer.et.démon-tre.comment.les.caractéristiques.des.femmes.entrepreneures.peuvent.contribuer.à.la.prévention.de.ces.échecs..Il.énumère.également.de.nombreuses.ressources.utiles.pour.les.femmes.qui.recherchent.des.in-formations.complémentaires.ou.de.soutien.au.démarrage.d’entreprise.
EVERY YEAR,.millions.of.dollars.are.spent.
on.starting.new.enterprises..Many.of.these.
newly.established.businesses.vanish.within.a.
year.or.two;.only.small.percentages.succeed..Most.stud-
ies.have.found.that.the.factors.underlying.the.failure.of.
new.ventures.are,.in.most.cases,.within.the.control.of.the.
entrepreneur..The.five.key.reasons.for.business.failure.are.
poor.management.skills,.lack.of.planning,.poor.marketing,.
under.financing,.and.lack.of.focus.and.motivation,.particu-
larly.when.results.take.time.to.materialize..These.reasons.
are.equally.applicable.at.the.growth.and.expansion.stages,.
because.the.same.planning.processes.and.due.diligence.
need.to.be.followed.to.ensure.success..
Research.has.shown.over.the.years.that.women.entre-
preneurs.are.more.successful.than.their.male.counterparts..There.are.several.reasons.
for.this,.including.a.focus.on.sharing,.having.more.of.a.team.approach,.being.more.
frugal.with.resources.but.most.importantly,.they.are.more.likely.than.men.to.recog-
nize.weaknesses.and.ask.for.help...
Women.also.tend.to.be.more.process.oriented,.and.starting.or.expanding.a.busi-
ness.is.a.process..Business.planning.is.the.process.of.developing.a.business.strategy.
that.will.help.lead.the.entrepreneur.to.success..
There.are.many.step-by-step.guides.to.starting.a.business..Five.key.steps.are.set.
out.below..Steps.2.through.4.involve.research.and.evaluation.by.the.entrepreneur:
1. Am I an Entrepreneur?..By.Googling.“entrepreneur.self.assessment”,.you.
will.find.several.sites.that.offer.personal.skills.assessments.designed.to.help.
you.determine.if.you.have.what.is.required.to.be.a.successful.entrepreneur..
Examples.include.the.Business.Development.Bank,.several.government.sites.
such.as.Western.Economic.Diversification.Canada,.the.Canadian.Foundation.
for.Economic.Education.and.Entrepreneur.com...
2. Do I have a viable business idea? .This.stage.involves.an.objective.as-
sessment.of.the.demand.for.your.product.or.service..Who.are.the.potential.
customers?.Are.their.numbers.sufficient?.Who.are.the.competitors.and.what.
do.they.do.well?.How.will.you.differentiate.your.company?.Sources.of.sup-
port.include.local.government.organizations.as.well.as.the.Canada.Business.
Service.Centre.in.each.province.that.has.data.on.demographics.and.industry.
sector.statistics....
3. What is my role in the business? ..A.number.of.questions.need.to.be.
addressed..Who.will.provide.you.with.support.services.and.how.will.you.
organize.the.business?.What.will.the.form.of.the.business.organization.be:.
proprietorship,.partnership,.or.corporation?.You.should.seek.legal.advice.
prior.to.making.any.decisions.as.a.variety.of.factors.including.financial.
considerations.will.impact.the.decision..The.appropriate.licenses,.whether.
The five key reasons
for business failure
are poor management
skills, lack of planning,
poor marketing, under
financing, and lack of
focus and motivation,
particularly when
results take time to
materialize.
30 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
municipal,.provincial.or.federal.will.need.to.be.
obtained,.as.well.as.registration.with.Canada.Rev-
enue.Agency.for.the.Goods.and.Services.Tax,.and,.if.
applicable,.registration.with.the.provincial.govern-
ment.for.sales.taxes..Be.knowledgeable.about.the.
government.regulations.that.are.applicable.in.your.
location..
4. What financial resources are needed to
start the business?..First,.assess.your.personal.
finances.and.create.a.personal.net.worth.statement..
Become.aware.of.and.assess.potential.financing.op-
tions.including.financial.institutions,.government.
programs,.venture.capital.organizations,.and.per-
sonal.connections..Find.out.what.potential.bankers.
or.investors.need..Most.financial.institutions.and.
investors.will.also.be.able.to.suggest.other.potential.
sources.of.financing..
5. Business Plan!..A.business.plan.is.the.culmina-
tion.of.the.research.and.outlines.the.strategy.for.
your.business..Many.people.get.frightened.when.
they.hear.the.words.“business.plan”.and.images.
of.thick,.complicated.documents.come.to.mind..
Contrary.to.popular.belief,.a.business.plan.does.not.
have.to.be.a.painful.experience..Basically,.a.busi-
ness.plan.has.two.purposes:.First,.it.is.the.blueprint.
of.your.operation,.explaining.how.you.intend.to.
start.and.operate.your.business;.and.second,.if.you.
are.looking.for.financing,.it.is.required.by.financial.
institutions.to.determine.whether.they.can.invest.
in.your.venture..The.key.is.to.thoroughly.plan.every.
aspect.of.your.business.and.to.put.those.details.in.
a.written.document..It.should.include.short-term.
and.long-term.goals.and.how.you.intend.to.achieve.
them..Setting.short-term.and.long-term.goals,.you.
provide.yourself.with.benchmarks.to.compare.your.
actual.results.against.what.you.thought.would.hap-
pen..This.helps.you.to.identify.what.you.are.doing.
right,.and.what.you.can.improve.upon..When.writ-
ing.your.plan,.you.should.always.consider.the.good,.
the.bad,.and.the.ugly.scenarios..By.doing.so,.you.
demonstrate.to.yourself.and.others.that.you.have.
considered.the.risks.and.are.ready.to.deal.with.any.
potential.challenges.which.may.arise..Building.your.
business.is.a.continual.learning.experience.that.will.
help.you.reach.your.personal.and.financial.goals..
You.will.find.running.a.successful.business.much.
easier.if.you.have.a.detailed.business.plan.in.place.
first..
You.may.find.sources.of.support.and.information.in.
what.might.be.considered.unlikely.places,.such.as.the.RBC.
Royal.Bank.“Guide.to.Support.and.Resources.for.Women.
Entrepreneurs”...The.Canada.Business.Service.Centres.are.
good.places.to.start.(www.canadabusiness.ca).as.well.
as.Statistics.Canada.(www.statcan.gc.ca).for.researching.
your.business.idea..
In.Western.Canada,.each.of.the.four.provinces.has.an.
organization.that.is.part.of.the.Women’s.Enterprise.Initia-
tive.funded.by.Western.Economic.Diversification.Canada..
These.organizations.provide.information,.training,.business.
counseling,.and.financing.to.assist.at.every.stage.mentioned.
above..Getting.started.or.expanding.your.business.is.as.
simple.as.contacting.the.office.closest.to.you..
Women.Entrepreneurs.of.Saskatchewan.Inc...
www.womenentrepreneurs.sk.ca.
Toll-free:.1-800-879-6331;...
Women’s.Enterprise.Centre.of.Manitoba..
www.wecm.ca.
Toll.free:.1-800-203-2343;..
Alberta.Women.Entrepreneurs..
www.awebusiness.com
Toll.free:.1-800-713-3558;..
Women’s.Enterprise.Centre.BC..
www.womensenterprise.ca.
Toll.free:.1-800-643-7014...
In.Ontario,.the.PARO.Centre.for.Women’s.Enterprise..
provides.programs.and.services.to.women.across.
Northern.Ontario....
www.paro.ca
In.Quebec,.there.are.two.organizations..Women.Entrepre-
neurial.Center.of.Quebec.promotes.the.start-up.and..
development.of.enterprises.managed.by.women.
through.information,.training.and.networking...
www.cefq.ca and.
Reseau.des.Femmes.d’Affaires.du.Quebec.Inc..a.private.
sector.networking.and.member.association..
www.rfaq.ca..
In.Atlantic.Canada,.check.out.NLOWE.(Newfoundland.
and.Labrador.Organization.of.Women.Entrepreneurs).
www.nlowe.org;.
Prince.Edward.Island.Business.Women’s.Association.
www.peibwa.org;.and..
Centre.for.Women.in.Business.in.Nova.Scotia..
www.msvu.ca/cwb.for.support.and.guidance..
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 31
Reading Suggestions
Embedding Gender in Sustainability Reporting
IFC’S WOMEN IN BUSINESS PROGRAM.
(formerly.known.as.Gender.Entrepreneurship.Mar-
kets,.GEM).has.published.an.interesting.document.
with.the.title.above.in.its.Fourth.Quarter.Edition.Global.
Newsletter.entitled.“Creating.Opportunities.for.Women”.
(January.2010)..This.practitioner’s.guide.document.was.
launched.by.The.Global.Reporting.Initiative.(GRI).and.IFC.
(International.Finance.Corporation-World.Bank).to.help.
organizations.worldwide.create.opportunities.for.women,.
adopt.best.practices.in.sustainability.reporting,.and.im-
prove.companies’.bottom.lines...You.will.find.this.report.by.
clicking.on..
www.ifc.org/ifcext/sustainability.nsf/Attach-
mentsByTitle/web_GenderReporting_Embed-
dingGender_ExecSummary/$FILE/GRI-IFC_Em-
beddingGender_LR.pdf.or.by.contacting.Carmen.
Niethammer.at.cniethammer@ifc.org
We.recommend.that.you.download.and.read.this.
report,.where.you.will.find,.among.other.information,.the.
following.policies,.initiatives,.and.activities.that.may.help.
facilitate.the.goal.of.gender.equality.in.the.workplace:
•. Ensure.fair.and.comparable.wages,.hours,.and.benefits,.
including.retirement.benefits,.for.comparable.work.
regardless.of.gender..Conduct.regular.fair-pay.reviews.
•. Undertake.recruitment.and.retention.campaigns.that.
target.women.and.men..
•. Ensure.both.women.and.men.participate.in.recruitment.
panels..
•. Encourage.the.employment.of.women.and.men.in.oc-
cupations.that.are.not.normally.considered.“typical”.for.
their.gender..
•. Provide.professional.development.opportunities.such.
as.formal.or.informal.networking,.client-development.
activities,.and.equal.mentoring.opportunities.for.
women.and.men.at.all.levels,.including.those.women.
working.in.nontraditional.fields..
•. Implement.concrete,.verifiable.actions.promoting.
work-life.balance,.such.as.flexible.work.options,.family.
leave,.dependent.care,.wellness.programs,.and.work-
force.exit.and.reentry.opportunities..Allow.employees.
to.take.time.off.work.for.childbirth,.parental.leave,.and.
family-related.responsibilities..
•. Allow.time.off.from.work.for.employees.seeking.medi-
cal.care.or.treatment.for.themselves.or.their.depen-
dents,.including.family.planning,.counseling,.and.
reproductive.health.care,.and.support.opportunities.of.
return.to.positions.of.equal.pay.and.status.in.the.event.
of.ill.health..
•. Prohibit.discrimination.based.on.marital,.parental,.or.
reproductive.status.in.decisions.regarding.employment.
or.promotion..
•. Consider.supporting.access.to.child.care.either.by.pro-
viding.child.care.services.or.by.providing.information.
and.resources.regarding.such.services..
•. Provide.protection.from.exposure.to.hazardous.or.toxic.
chemicals.in.the.workplace,.particularly.when.those.
substances.have.known.or.suspected.adverse.effects.on.
the.health.of.women.and.men,.including.their.repro-
ductive.health..
•. Prohibit.and.prevent.all.forms.of.violence.in.the.work-
place,.including.verbal,.physical,.and.sexual.harass-
ment..Provide.information.on.violence.against.women.
to.employees..
•. Implement.initiatives.to.ensure.the.safety.of.female.em-
ployees.while.in.the.workplace,.as.well.as.during.travel.
to.and.from.the.workplace.and.on.company-related.
business..
•. Ensure.there.are.separate.toilets.and,.where.necessary,.
changing.facilities.for.female.and.male.employees..
32 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
BOOK REVIEW
The Girls’ Guide to Building a Million-Dollar BusinessBy Susan Wilson Solovic240 pages (hardcover)AMACOM (Publisher)2007
Review by Chris Street Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation Paul J. Hill School of Business University of Regina
AbstractProfessor.Street.reviews.and.high-lights.the.important.points.in.the.Susan.Wilson.Solovic’s.book.“The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.a.Million-Dollar.Business”..He.comments.on.Solovic’s.uncommon.introduction.to.business.start.up.and.how.this.leads.to.a.more.stimulating.read..The.article.examines.the.topics.of.the.book.which.include:.mentoring,.leadership,.financial.management,.and.the.obstacles.female.entrepre-neurs.may.face.
RésuméProfesseur.Street.commente.et.souligne.les.points.importants.dans.le.livre.de.Susan.Wilson.Solovic.“The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.a.Mil-lion-Dollar.Business”.(Le.guide.des.filles.pour.bâtir.une.entreprise.d’un.million.de.dollars”..Il.commente.la.rare.introduction.que.Solovic.fait.allant.de.la.façon.de.commencer.son.entreprise.à.une.stimulante.lecture.des.exemples.de.réussite..L’article.aborde.les.thèmes.du.livre,.qui.comprennent:.le.mentorat,.la.direction,.la.gestion.financière,.et.les.obstacles.auxquels.les.femmes.entrepreneurs.peuvent.faire.face
WHEN READING.through.most.collections.of.books.and.
magazine.articles.devoted.to.the.topic.of.women.entrepre-
neurs,.it.doesn’t.take.long.to.notice.there.are.at.least.two.
popular.(and.perhaps.related).topics:.the.barriers.that.exist.for.women.who.
want.to.build.their.own.businesses,.and.strategies.for.women.who.want.to.
compete.in.the.‘male-dominated.world.of.business’..Susan.Solovic’s.recent.
book,.“The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.a.Million-Dollar.Business”,.is.a.refresh-
ing.departure.from.the.norm..Solovic,.also.the.author.of.“The.Girls’.Guide.
to.Power.and.Success”.and.“Reinvent.Your.Career:.Attain.the.Success.You.
Desire.and.Deserve”,.takes.readers.through.a.practical.introduction.to.start-
ing.and.building.a.large.and.successful.business..
Hints.appear.right.from.the.Introduction.and.first.chapter.that.this.
book.is.written.in.a.slightly.different.style..Solovic.points.out.that.there.are.
several.million.businesses.in.the.United.States.that.are.owned.or.controlled.
by.women.and.that.these.statistics.are.most.likely.understated..She.plants.
the.idea.in.readers’.minds.that.perhaps.the.barriers.to.women.entrepre-
neurs.are.not.as.formidable.as.one.might.think.and.begins.explaining.the.
steps.involved.to.building.a.million-dollar.business..The.book.is.divided.into.
three.sections.beginning.with.“Laying.the.Groundwork.for.a.Million-Dollar.
Business”,.followed.by.“Using.the.Four.Strategic.Keys.To.Growing.Your.
Business”,.and.ending.with.“Accelerating.Business.Growth”..The.chapters.
are.written.in.an.engaging.conversational.style.that.makes.it.easy.to.get.
caught.up.in.the.examples.and.stories.of.primarily.present-day.successful.
women.
The.initial.section,.comprising.the.first.three.chapters,.is.focused.on.the.
mental,.emotional,.and.relational.groundwork.necessary.to.seriously.begin.
building.a.new.business...Solovic.says.that.in.many.cases.women.tend.to.
sabotage.their.business.ideas.before.they.have.a.chance.to.take.off,.and.of-
fers.suggestions.like.letting.others.know.about.your.intentions.and.making.
emotionally.detached.decisions.on.the.basis.of.what’s.best.for.the.business..
The.last.topic,.preparing.for.the.likelihood.that.personal.relationships.will.
change.while.the.business.is.growing,.is.not.often.covered.so.prominently.
and.adds.an.interesting.point.to.the.section..Solovic’s.advice.is.to.find.a.
mentor.to.help.guide.you.through.the.initial.stages,.someone.who.can.be.a.
‘sounding.board’.for.decisions.as.well.as.to.provide.inspiration..Consistent.
with.the.tone.of.the.book.itself,.these.topics.are.discussed.in.a.straightfor-
ward.way.that.gets.a.practical.message.across.about.what.to.expect.and.
advice.on.how.to.manage.it.
Solovic.goes.on.to.say.there.are.four.key.areas.to.focus.on.for.growing.
a.business;.leadership,.team-building,.marketing,.and.financial.manage-
ment,.and.each.area.gets.its.own.chapter..Her.advice.is.to.understand.the.
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 33
voice.and.character.of.your.business.and.take.the.lead.in.
explaining.it.to.others..She.uses.the.example.of.Melanie.
Bergeron’s.‘Two.Men.and.a.Truck’.business.to.illustrate.
her.point.–.Bergeron’s.business.is.guided.by.what.she.calls.
the.‘Grandma.Rule’:.treat.everyone.the.way.you.want.your.
Grandma.treated..Solovic.provides.similar.advice.about.
team-building.by.referring.to.Mary.Kay.Ash.and.advising.
that.you.should.find.your.company’s.‘Pink.Cadillac’.–.make.
your.company.fun,.creative,.flexible,.rewarding.and.empow-
ering..Solovic.recommends.being.financially.proactive.by.
getting.to.know.everyone.in.the.financial.community.before.
you.need.to.go.to.them.to.get.the.finances.required.to.grow..
This.book.includes.a.wide.va-
riety.of.interesting.examples.
of.women.entrepreneurs.who.
succeeded.at.these.stages.and.
learned.important.lessons.to.
be.passed.on.
The.book.ends.with.
advice.about.developing.
partnerships.as.well.as.how.
to.manage.growth.both.
nationally.and.internation-
ally..Solovic.suggests.alterna-
tives.like.joint.partnerships,.
franchising,.and.direct.sales.
as.ways.of.growing.a.suc-
cessful.small.business.into.a.
million.dollar.business..She.
steps.back.from.the.detail.of.
starting.and.growing.a.large.
enterprise.and.commenting.
about.some.of.the.reasons.for.beginning.the.venture.in.the.
first.place.–.she.asks.you.to.remember.why.you’re.doing.it,.
stay.focused,.and.let.others.help.you.along.the.way.
Information.about.additional.resources.and.suc-
cess.stories.for.women.entrepreneurs.are.included.in.two.
closing.appendices..Is.it.possible.to.reproduce.these?.We.
can.ask.the.authorization.from.the.publisher...Overall,.
“The.Girls’.Guide.to.Building.
a.Million-Dollar.Business”.by.
Susan.Solovic.was.a.motivating.
book.(without.trying.to.be),.the.
advice.and.examples.easily.relat-
able,.and.well.worth.the.time.
to.read..This.book.is.different.
from.other.books.about.women.
entrepreneurs.in.that.it.acknowl-
edges.barriers.such.as.work-life.
balance,.being.a.mom,.and.the.
sometimes.negative.perceptions.
of.women.in.business.and.then.
launches.directly.into.how.to.be.
successful.anyway.
BOOK REVIEW
Bergeron’s business is guided by what she
calls the ‘Grandma Rule’: treat everyone the
way you want your Grandma treated.
34 | SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010
Author Guidelines
PurposeThe Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Entre-
preneurship Review.is.focused.at.owners.and.operators.
of.small.and.mid-sized.enterprises.(SME),.those.working.
in.support.of.SMEs,.and.those.interested.in.the.practice.
of.entrepreneurship..The.journal.has.been.created.by.the.
Canadian.Council.for.Small.Business.and.Entrepreneurship.
(CCSBE-CCPME).in.partnership.with.the.Centre.for.Man-
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SMEE Review/Revue PMEE June/Juin 2010 | 35
SMEE Review/Revue PMEE510, Education BuildingCentre for Management DevelopmentFaculty of Business AdministrationUniversity of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4S 0A2Telephone: 1 (306) 337-3220Facsimile: 1 (306) 585-5361E-mail: smee.review@uregina.ca
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